WTC Final: "It will be the battle of the two pace bowling attacks" - Ian Chappell
Former Australian skipper Ian Chappell believes the World Test Championship (WTC) Final between India and New Zealand could possibly end up being a showdown between the two pace bowling attacks.
The likes of Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj make India's pace battery highly potent. The Kiwis also boast an incredible pace bowling quartet with the likes of Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner and Kyle Jamieson at their disposal.
In a video posted on ICC's official Twitter handle, Ian Chappell explained why India have a more balanced bowling attack than that of New Zealand. The veteran Australian believes the presence of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja gives India depth in both batting and bowling.
"Looking forward to the very first WTC Final which is the battle of the two pace bowling attacks. Both New Zealand and India have got very strong pace bowling attacks. India have the better-balanced attack because they have got some good spinners and Jadeja is an all-rounder," Ian Chappell opined.
Ian Chappell has also been impressed with the meteoric rise of wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant over the past six months. Pant has grown into arguably India's biggest match-winner in Tests and will be the X-factor the Kiwis need to be wary of.
"Another thing that I am looking forward to is the performance of Rishabh Pant. He is a much-improved cricketer," Chappell added.
Apart from Ian Chappell, Graeme Smith has also shared his insights on WTC Final
Former South African skipper Graeme Smith is looking forward to the battle between the two skippers Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson. Their contrasting style of captaincy and body language on the field is something that Smith finds intriguing.
Both Kohli and Williamson are short on runs of late and thus the WTC Final could be the biggest stage where either of them could come good and win the game for their team.
"Kane is very reserved, excellent player, really smart and strategic. Virat brings passion and leads from the front. Kane and Virat are two of the best batsmen in the world. It will be interesting to see how they manage themselves on a big stage like that," Smith signed off.