WTC Final: 3 possible bowling combinations for India
India's bowling attack has been one of the main topics of debate in the build-up to the World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand, which will be played from June 18 in Southampton. The kind of world-class talent India possesses in its bowling armory has given them a problem of plenty to think about.
In the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under, an injury-ravaged India managed to beat Australia and become the only team to hand the Aussies back-to-back Test series defeats at home. This was a testament to their incredible bench strength and depth, especially in the pace bowling department.
By the time of the series decider at the Gabba, India was without the services of its five main bowlers Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Incredibly, the most experienced bowler in the team was Mohammed Siraj, who had played just two Tests prior to that game.
3 ways India could line their bowling up for the WTC final
The depth in India's bowling reserves is intimidating, but when it comes to the one-off Test against a mighty New Zealand side, they will need to be spot-on with their selection. The Team India management will need to reconsider a number of factors to finalize their bowling attack and will need to be spot on with their decision.
On that note, let's have a look at the three possible bowling combinations India can go in with in the WTC final:
#3 Ishant, Bumrah, Shami, Siraj, Ashwin
With the forecast in Southampton for the next five days indicating overcast conditions, India will be tempted to play with four seamers and go in with a solitary spinner.
India's five-bowler theory gives them some added muscle in the bowling department that was seen Down Under. Thus, they are likely to continue with the same. However, a four-pronged pace attack would mean Siraj might get be picked, along with Ishant, Bumrah and Shami.
Siraj was simply sensational Down Under, becoming India's highest wicket-taker in the Test series with 13 scalps to his name. His consistency and maturity, despite his inexperience at international level, showed that he is a quick learner who can certainly create an impact against the Kiwis.
However, this would also mean that India might have to drop one of Ashwin and Jadeja. Ashwin was sensational Down Under and showed that he was not an ineffective bowler in overseas conditions. But dropping Jadeja could have its disadvantages too, given his world-class fielding and ability to contribute with both bat and ball.
The combination might raise quite a few eyebrows, but knowing skipper Virat Kohli and his habit of throwing up surprises during team selection, it is a real possibility.
#2 Shami, Bumrah, Siraj, Ashwin, Jadeja
A more likely bowling combination that India could go in with in the final would be that of three quicks and two spinners. Given Southampton's pitch history, spin could have a part to play on Day 4 and Day 5. This could bring both Jadeja and Ashwin into play and the duo could grab the game by the scruff of its neck.
An interesting choice here would be selecting Siraj ahead of Ishant in the fast bowling department. Ishant has been a seasoned campaigner for India in the longest format and is arguably among India's modern-day greats, but his fitness could be a factor worth considering.
Ishant was injured in the IPL 2020 season and returned to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) to make himself fit in time for the Test series Down Under. However, that didn't happen and he missed out on the historic series win.
IPL 2021 saw Ishant get injured yet again, which means he has almost no match practice going into the crucial WTC final. This could result in Siraj getting the nod ahead of the veteran pacer. Whether or not this happens remains to be seen, but it would not come as a surprise to many.
#1 Ishant, Shami, Bumrah, Ashwin, Jadeja
According to many experts and fans, this is the strongest possible bowling combination for India in the WTC final. Ishant, Shami and Bumrah have had the experience of bowling together over the past couple of years and have shown exactly what they are capable of.
Ashwin and Jadeja not only bring their bowling ability to the table, but also their batting potential that gives India much-needed depth. Ironically, these five have never played a Test for India together.
It will be interesting to see how things pan out if these five are India's bowling options in the final. With loads of experience and match-winning ability, this is the bowling attack that India could go in with against the Kiwis.