WTC Final: "They have 600-700 wickets"- Ravi Shastri backs Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin
India head coach Ravi Shastri has backed the spin-bowling duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin to perform well in the World Test Championship Final.
Before the battle between India and New Zealand began, many fans felt the Indian team may make a change to their announced playing XI and include an extra fast bowler in place of a spinner. However, India has gone in with both Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the pace-friendly conditions of Southampton.
In a pre-match interview with official broadcaster Star Sports, coach Ravi Shastri pointed out that although the current conditions would assist the pacers, the spinners would come into play when the sun comes out during the later parts of the game. Highlighting Jadeja and Ashwin's excellent performance in Test cricket, Shastri said:
"On a day like this it helps the fast bowlers get help, but when the sun comes out the spinners would come into play. Jadeja and Ashwin add that variety and they bowl well in tandem. They have close to 600-700 wickets and complement each other really well."
"WTC Final is the big daddy of all World Cups" - Ravi Shastri
In the same interview, Ravi Shastri spoke about the significance of the World Test Championship Final. The Indian coach had won the 1983 ODI World Cup and had also done commentary for the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup in 2007. But in his view, the World Test Championship is the biggest of all global cricketing events.
"It's the big daddy of all World Cups. I've played the 1983 World Cup, commentated on a few of them but this one is the biggest of them all. It's the toughest format, biggest format and the job satisfaction is maximum. There are a lot of big players who've not got their hands on a World Cup, so playing in a big final is always special," Ravi Shastri added.
India has got off to a great start in the WTC Final despite losing the toss. You can follow the live scorecard of the match right here.