Ishan Kishan over KS Bharat, Ashwin over Shardul, India’s Playing11 for ICC WTC Final: Indian skipper Rohit Sharma and the coaching staff led by Rahul Dravid would be scratching their heads with the confusion over the playing11 selection for the upcoming ICC WTC Final against Australia. India’s Playing11 headache for the ICC WTC Final would be huge as all the choices come with their worth in gold.
The first conundrum for Team India would be the choice between seasoned spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and all-rounder Shardul Thakur. If the pitch aids spin, then Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid would be tempted to go with R Ashwin, who can target the left-arm batters of the opposition.
However, if the pitch isn’t conducive to spin, then Shardul Thakur would be a much better option than R Ashwin. Thakur can swing the ball away from the right-hand batters and is also a handy batter.
The other puzzle in front of the Indian management would be the choice of wicketkeeper between KS Bharat and Ishan Kishan. Both the glovesman comes with their own set of advantages. While Ishan Kishan brings in that spicy factor and can play aggressively in the middle order when the ball is old, KS Bharat has the tested customer and is no rookie to the English test conditions.
The ICC WTC Final between India and Australia is set to begin on June 7 at the Kennington Oval, London. The five-day event will run till June 11 and June 12 has been set aside as a reserve day to make up for any time lost during the regular five days of play.
Meanwhile, former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif reckons team India should go with the conditions and decide the playing11 only after accessing the pitch. While picking India’s playing11 for the ICC WTC Final, Kaif was confident to play Ishan Kishan ahead of KS Bharat due to his attacking abilities, the skillset which Rishabh Pant used to bring when he was in the side.
“I would play Ishan Kishan over KS Bharat because you would want someone to play attacking shots at number six,” said Mohammad Kaif to Star Sports ahead of ICC WTC Final between India and Australia.
India’s Playing11 for ICC WTC Final Predicted by Kaif
Kaif also predicted India’s playing11 for the ICC WTC Final in which he included five batters, three pacers, a wicketkeeper and two all-rounders.
“For the WTC, the openers should be Shubhman Gill and Rohit Sharma, followed by Cheteshwar Pujara who plays at number three and has experience there. At number four would be Virat Kohli followed by Ajinkya Rahane who makes his return to the team. I would play Ishan Kishan over KS Bharat because you would want someone to play attacking shots at number six because the ball is old and Rishabh Pant used to play that role. At seven, I will play Ravindra Jadeja,” Kaif told Star Sports ahead of the summit clash.
He left the choice between R Ashwin and Shardul Thakur to the Indian management depending upon the conditions on offer. He backed Ashwin if the pitch suits spin, and Shardul Thakur if it behaves otherwise.
“At eight I would either play Ashwin or Shardul, depending on the pitch conditions, and if the pitch suits spin then Ashwin can target the left-handed batsmen like Warner, Travis Head and Khawaja, so it will be a good match-up. I would take fast bowlers, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj followed by Umesh Yadav at number 11. This would be my preferred playing 11 because it’s early June, and you will need three fast bowlers plus Jadeja and Ashwin or Shardul, depending on the forecast,” he added.
India’s Playing11 for ICC WTC Final: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Ishan Kishan (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin/Shardul Thakur, Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav, Mohammad Siraj.
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For more details head to ICC’s official website.