WTC final: 3 major selection conundrums for India
The World Test Championship (WTC) final is all set to be played between India and Australia at the Kennington Oval in London from June 7 to 11.
Both teams are currently in preparation mode for the mega clash. While Australia (152 points) finished first in the points table, India (127 points) ended second.
The two teams in fact met in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India in February-March this year, just ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023.
The hosts clinched the first two Tests rather comprehensively. After thumping the Aussies by an innings and 132 runs in Nagpur, they clinched the Delhi Test by six wickets.
Australia fought back commendably to claim the third Test in Indore by nine wickets, while the final Test in Ahmedabad ended in a draw. India, however, did well enough to qualify for the WTC final.
India will be confident heading into the latest clash against Australia, having enjoyed quite a lot of success against them in recent years. However, they have a few major selection conundrums with regard to the WTC final. Here’s a lowdown.
#1 Ishan Kishan or KS Bharat as wicketkeeper?
One of the biggest debates heading into the WTC final has centered on who should keep wickets - KS Bharat or Ishan Kishan.
The same discussion took place even ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after Rishabh Pant was ruled out due to his car accident.
Eventually, Bharat got the nod ahead of Kishan as he had been the backup keeper in the Test squad for a while. The 29-year-old Andhra Pradesh stumper, however, had a poor series with the bat, managing only 101 runs in six innings at an average of 20.20, with a best of 44. He rarely looked comfortable against a high-quality Australian attack.
Speaking of Kishan, he has played 14 ODIs and 27 T20Is but is yet to make his Test debut. The left-handed batter has the experience of 48 first-class matches, but drafting him into the playing XI for the WTC final comes with its own set of risks.
My 2 cents on the KS Bharat vs Ishan Kishan debate:
Neither player has absolutely amazing FC stats, but Bharat has spent an extended period of time with the A side and the Test squad.
And his batting has shown glimpses of potential in the 2nd and 4th Tests v Aus.
Expert view: Sunil Gavaskar
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar admitted that the keeper’s position is a bit of a concern for Team India. He gave his nod to Bharat over Kishan.
"I would imagine No. 6 would be either (KS) Bharat or Ishan Kishan. They are talking about Bharat because he has played all these matches so far. So will probably stick with Bharat at six,” Gavaskar told Star Sports.
#2 Extra pace of Umesh or all-round skills of Thakur?
Another major selection headache for India is whether to pick Umesh Yadav for his extra pace or go with the all-round ability of Shardul Thakur to strengthen the batting.
Umesh has been in and out of the playing XI over the last few years. The emergence of Mohammed Siraj as an all-format bowler has dented his chances further.
To his credit, the Vidarbha pacer has done reasonably well in the limited opportunities that he has received. He impressed with figures of 3/12 in five overs in the first innings of the Indore Test against Australia earlier this year. Umesh has a knack for producing such brilliant spells.
The other contender, Thakur, last featured in a red-ball game for India during the rescheduled Test in Birmingham against England last year. He had a forgettable game with both the bat and ball, claiming only one wicket and scoring five runs.
Thakur has gone off the boil in recent times and it remains to be seen when Team India risk him in the WTC final.
Expert view: Sarandeep Singh
Former India selector Sarandeep Singh opined that he would pick Umesh over Thakur for his extra pace while backing the top and middle order to do the job with the willow.
"I am picking Umesh ahead of Shardul because he has that extra pace and he can reverse the old ball, he can be very helpful on that Oval track,” Sarandeep told PTI.
#3 How to fit in Ravichandran Ashwin?
When India decide to go in with one spinner in overseas conditions, which is often the case, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja often gets the nod ahead of Ravichandran Ashwin. It will be a tough call again to leave out the latter, considering his telling contribution to India reaching the WTC final.
On current form, though, Jadeja has the tag of ‘undroppable’, which means the axe might again fall on the seasoned off-spinner.
Alternately, though, India can go in with three pacers and two slow bowlers, allowing both Ashwin and Jadeja to feature in the playing XI for the WTC final. Will the Indian think tank take that route though?
Expert view: Mohammad Kaif
According to former India batter, the No. 8 spot in the Indian playing XI could be occupied by either Ashwin or Thakur, depending on the conditions and the weather.
"At eight, I would either play Ashwin or Shardul, depending on the pitch conditions, and if the pitch suits spin then Ashwin can target the left-handed batsmen like Warner, Travis Head, and Khawaja, so it will be a good match-up. It’s early June; you will need three fast bowlers plus Jadeja and Ashwin or Shardul, depending on the forecast,” he told Star Sports.
Ashwin is Team India’s leading wicket-taker in the ongoing WTC (2021-23) cycle. In 13 Tests, he has picked up 61 wickets at an impressive average of 19.67.