2023 World Test Championship Final: Australia End India's Lord's Final Dream

The 2023 WTC Final at Lord's

The 2023 ICC World Test Championship final was played at Lord's Cricket Ground in June 2023 between Australia and India. Both nations were making their second consecutive WTC final appearance — India having lost to New Zealand in 2021, and Australia having lost to the same opponents in 2021 as they did not qualify for the first final. The match was one of the most anticipated in recent Test cricket history given cricket's two biggest sides meeting at cricket's most famous ground.

Australia Dominate

Australia batted first and posted 469 in their first innings, with Travis Head top-scoring with a magnificent 163. India's response of 296 left them 173 behind. Australia's second innings declaration set India an imposing target of 444 runs. India's chase never got off the ground — they were bowled out for 234, giving Australia victory by 209 runs. Nathan Lyon was Australia's leading wicket-taker across both innings.

Travis Head's Hero Performance

Travis Head's 163 in Australia's first innings was the defining performance of the final. Head batted with supreme authority on a Lord's pitch that suited swing and seam bowling, and his innings set the platform for Australia's match-winning total. It was not the first time Head delivered in a final — he had previously scored vital runs in the 2021 T20 World Cup and would later score a century in the 2023 ODI World Cup final against India.