In the ICC World Test Championship final between India and Australia at The Oval, Ishan Kishan is anticipated to warm the bench.
Who will keep India’s wickets? Will Team India still support KS Bharat, or will Ishan Kishan be required to try out? What about the bowling lineup used by England to defeat Australia at The Oval? How many fast bowlers and spinners will Rohit Sharma and company select for their all-star starting XI? When Team India, led by Rahul Dravid, announces its starting lineup against Australia in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final on Wednesday at The Oval, there will be a number of selection-related queries that need to be answered.
For the forthcoming match, Rohit and company are already without players like Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer. Bharat, who will start as wicketkeeper for India in place of Pant, has not yet established himself. Bharat and Kishan have never participated in a game in England. If the Indian think-tank decides to give Kishan his Test debut in the WTC final, they will be taking a risk by overlooking BharatVirat Kohli, Shubman Gill, and captain Rohit will lead India’s top-notch batting lineup against Australia. Ajinkya Rahane, a seasoned player, is anticipated to reward the selectors’ confidence in the final after a strong season in the Indian Premier League (IPL). In the playing XI for India, all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin were both there when Kyle Jamieson’s New Zealand team defeated India by 8 wickets in the WTC 2021 championship game at Rose Bowl.
It’s interesting to note that Ashwin had to warm the bench throughout India’s five-match Test series in England. At the moment, the visitors decided on a 4-1 pace-bowling attack. But Ashwin is expected to be selected since he will be partnering with an effective Jadeja against Australia at The Oval. Ashwin is now the top-ranked Test bowler. In 2021, Ashwin recorded his best County statistics at The Oval (6 for 27). Senior pacer Umesh Yadav can compliment the fast-bowling team of Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami in the Asian giants’ pace battery. In the unlikely event that Umesh is passed over for the titanic match between the top two teams in the rankings, all-arounder Shardul Thakur also has a chance to make the starting lineup.
