"I would have gone for the X-factor" - Sanjay Manjrekar on the selection of KS Bharat over Ishan Kishan for WTC final
Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar expressed his resentment at Team India selecting KS Bharat over Ishan Kishan as the wicket-keeper for the WTC final against Australia.
The summit clash got underway on Wednesday, June 7, with India winning the toss and electing to bowl first under overcast conditions at the Oval.
Ahead of the marquee game, much of the discussion in the build-up was centered around who India would go with as their wicket-keeping option in the absence of regular keeper Rishabh Pant.
Speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, Manjrekar was left disappointed at India's overall selection and the choice of Bharat ahead of Kishan.
"I am slightly disappointed with selection - the omission of Ashwin to begin with and KS Bharat the preferred option when you had Ishan Kishan. And India have seen the benefits of having someone like a Rishabh Pant, I am not saying Ishan kishan is a Rishabh Pant but 10-20℅ of Rishabh Pant if India gets here especially with the kind of batting frailties India have, it would have been brilliant," said Manjrekar.
He also felt that the difference in the glove work between the pair wasn't big enough to propel Bharat's selection.
"KS Bharat the keeper and Ishan kishan the keeper I don't think there is a marked difference there and so I would have gone for the X-factor because of what Rishabh Pant has done at that position for India in that role over the last couple of years in away Test matches is something they could have done," he added.
While Bharat has featured in four Tests for India in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home, Kishan is yet to make his Test debut.
The duo have similar numbers in first-class cricket, with Bharat averaging 37.27 in 90 matches and Kishan averaging 38.76 in 49 games.
"I see a little bit of Rahul Dravid in the selections" - Sanjay Manjrekar
Sanjay Manjrekar felt that Team India's playing XI for the WTC final against Australia was in some ways reflective of the thinking style of head coach Rahul Dravid.
The former Indian batter expressed his displeasure at India taking a more conservative approach rather than being dynamic for this one-off game,
"I see a little bit of Rahul Dravid in the selections that have been made - No Ashwin, no two spinners because that would have been something not expected, not conventional to have 2 spinners on a pitch that looks green and of course India have won the toss and they are bowling first and KS Bharat also they've gone in with the incumbent so I see a little bit of traditional and safe selection," said Manjrekar.
India went in with the three-pacers-two-spinners combo in the last WTC final a couple of years ago against New Zealand in Southampton. It was felt then that India missed a trick by not picking an extra pacer considering the seamer-friendly conditions, as they lost the match by eight wickets.