"I think he is more explosive and can do some damage at the back end" - Brad Hogg picks Ishan Kishan over KS Bharat for WTC final
Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg has shared his opinion over the ongoing debate over Team India's first-choice wicketkeeper for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia. Hogg strongly believes that Ishan Kishan should make it to the playing XI over KS Bharat.
The Men in Blue have been plagued with concern regarding their wicketkeeping choices ever since Rishabh Pant's car accident that has left him unavailable for the time being. Bharat, who was Pant's deputy, was handed his debut during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier in the year.
Kishan, on the other hand, was a late call-up to the WTC final squad following KL Rahul's injury midway through the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The left-handed batter is yet to make his Test debut and averages 38.76 after 48 first-class appearances.
Hogg opined that Kishan can capitalize on tired Australian bowlers at the end of the day with his aggression:
"I'll play Kishan instead of Bharat, I think he is more explosive and can do some damage at the back end, later on in the day when the Australian bowlers are a little worn out," he said.
Hogg went on to add that India should play with two spinners and leave out Shardul Thakur from the playing XI.
"I'll play both Jadeja and Ashwin, it will add more depth to the batting and makes up the spin department as well. Then you have got Shami, Siraj, and Umesh to do the bulk of the pace bowling," he continued.
There have been some strong arguments over the pros and cons of playing two spinners at The Oval. While Thakur had a stellar outing at the venue in 2021, the current sunny conditions and the likelihood of the pitch getting drier as the game progress might tip the scales in favor of Ravichandran Ashwin in terms of selection.
"They have got a lot of batters coming off IPL form" - Brad Hogg on Team India's strength for the WTC Final
There was only a nine-day gap between the conclusion of the 2023 IPL and the commencement of the WTC final. While the gap may seem insignificant from a preparation perspective, most of the Indian players played regularly in the T20 tournament for their respective franchises.
Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli were among the leading run-scorers in IPL 2023, while Mohammed Shami secured the Purple Cap for his exploits with the ball. The likes of Mohammed Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja also had fruitful campaigns.
Hogg stated that India have several in-form players among their ranks courtesy of the recently concluded IPL.
"The strengths for India are that they have got a lot of batters coming off IPL form where they have been really dominating against some good bowling attacks. Pujara has made some good hundreds for Sussex in the County season," he said.
Reflecting on India's weaknesses, Hogg added:
"Their weaknesses are the bowlers. They have not bowled long spells for a couple of months now, they have been bowling four-over spells in IPL cricket and that could be a huge factor in this contest. Also, the short preparation time leading into the Test."
Team India will take on Australia in the WTC final at The Oval from today.
Who should keep wickets for Team India in the WTC Final? Let us know what you think.