World Test Championship final: India's ideal playing XI
It is not often that a summer series against England is reduced to a sideshow. But that is exactly the case for New Zealand right now. With the WTC final schedule final right around the corner, they will have their eyes set on the bigger prize. The Kiwis will take on Team India in a one-off Test match for the title at Southampton, England, which begins on 18 June.
Kiwis have an early edge
It would be unwise to deny that the conditions will slightly favor the Kiwis in the WTC final. England's pitch and weather bear more likeness to New Zealand's than to India's. Therefore, the Black Caps are more likely of the two teams to feel at home during the final.
Additionally, New Zealand will come into the final on the back of two Test matches against England. India, however, will have to prepare through net sessions and the odd intrasquad practice game. And it is common knowledge that no number of net sessions can simulate the preparation one derives from an actual consequential match.
When the WTC final comes around, New Zealand would be in a better position to gage the form of their players. Without the benefit of match-play, India's playing XI is far from settled.
The questions surrounding India's playing XI should mostly be answered by the playing conditions. They have the option to play both Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Including Rishabh Pant, they can choose to play either five or six batsmen.
The way the pitch looks on the eve of the final will give a fair idea of the swing and seam it should carry. And that factor will ultimately govern India's choice of their playing XI..
Stay tuned for the WTC final scores here!
The 2nd opener
Rohit Sharma's opening partner, however, isn't something that will be decided by the playing conditions at the eleventh hour. Shubman Gill had seemingly sealed the spot with his fine showing in Australia. But a string of disappointingly low scores in the subsequent home series against England, followed by a dismal IPL, has opened a window for Mayank Agarwal.
It is still quite unlikely that India will drop Gill and go with Agarwal for the big final. But they would have definitely welcomed the idea of both playing in a warm-up game against a county side before taking the final call.
Can India spring a surprise and opt for KL Rahul as Rohit's opening partner? Unlike Gill and Agarwal, Rahul has prior experience of opening the batting in English conditions. The idea is far-fetched but the question is very intriguing.
Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane are pretty much automatic selections in India's middle-order. Rishabh Pant is also a certain choice for the wicketkeeper's position.
India's most probable batting order seems to be - Rohit, Gill, Pujara, Kohli, Rahane and Pant.
Hanuma Vihari's inclusion?
The playing conditions will dictate India's decision to play Hanuma Vihari to bolster their lower middle-order. If the pitch is suggestive of the Kiwi seam bowlers getting a lot of purchase, India might consider including Vihari.
None of the Indian pace bowlers are very useful with the bat, which leaves the team with a long tail. If a few wickets fall cheaply, India will be under pressure to not expose the tailenders and will thus struggle to put up meaningful runs on the board. The possibility of such a scenario provokes thoughts about Vihari's inclusion.
India's pace quartet
Ideally, India would like to play both Ashwin and Jadeja in the playing XI. Both the all-rounders are capable of chipping in with important runs lower down the order. However, they would be difficult to fit in together. Even if Vihari is left out, the inclusion of both Ashwin and Jadeja would invariably lead to the exclusion of one of India's four pacers - Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj and Ishant Sharma.
For a cricket-lover like myself, who grew up in the '90s, it is difficult not to be seduced by the prospect of the Indian pace quartet steaming in to bowl in English conditions. But at the end of the day, India is spoilt for options. They either need to pick between the two all-rounders, or choose one of the pacers to exclude. Multiple levels of choice make it a very tough call.
If India opt for one spinner and four seam bowlers, then Jadeja is more likely to get the nod. He holds a distinct advantage over Ashwin as a batsman and a fielder while not being too shabby with the ball. However, Ashwin boasts a lethal record against left-handers, who are a prominent feature of the New Zealand batting line-up. The choice is thus not very straight-forward either.
Best XI
England's pitches in recent years have tended to be dry and assist spinners, especially in the third and fourth innings. Unless faced with a lush green one, India will probably leave Siraj out among the pacers. While that decision might be hard on him, Shami's and Ishant's experience in England can't be neglected.
India are scheduled to play 6 Test matches during their tour of England later this year, where Siraj will surely get his chance to shine.
The playing XI should feature Rohit, Gill, Pujara, Kohli, Rahane, Pant, Jadeja, Ashwin, Ishant, Shami and Bumrah. With this lineup, the team will not only have five full-time bowlers, but will also have the luxury of batting till number 8. Moreover, all these bowlers have toured England previously and have a fair knowledge of the line and length they need to produce.
Even though New Zealand might start with a slight advantage, India's squad for WTC final is more than capable of nullifying the edge. The final of the inaugural World Test Championship promises to be an exciting one.