Who will be the wicketkeeper for India? Will KS Bharat continue to be supported by Team India, or is Ishan Kishan being considered for a trial? What will be the bowling combination against Australia at The Oval? How many spinners and fast bowlers will Rohit Sharma and his team choose for their star-studded playing XI? Skipper Rohit Sharma, under the guidance of coach Rahul Dravid, will address several selection questions when he confirms the playing XI of Team India against Australia for the final of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) at The Oval on Wednesday.
After retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home, India is set to resume its rivalry with Australia in the summit clash of the ICC World Test Championship. The top-ranked team faced disappointment in the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship, losing to New Zealand in the 2021 final. Despite not winning an ICC trophy for a decade, head coach Dravid believes that Rohit and his teammates do not feel any pressure heading into the final of the World Test Championship.
Rohit and his team are already missing key players such as Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer for the upcoming match. In Pant’s absence, wicketkeeper KS Bharat is yet to secure his position in the Indian lineup. Both Bharat and Kishan have never played in England. It would be a bold decision if the Indian think-tank overlooks Bharat and allows Kishan to make his Test debut in the WTC final.
Skipper Rohit, along with in-form batsmen Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill, will lead India’s world-class batting lineup against Australia. After a successful season in the Indian Premier League (IPL), veteran Ajinkya Rahane is expected to prove his worth in the final. All-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin were part of India’s playing XI in the WTC 2021 final, where New Zealand emerged victorious under the brilliance of Kyle Jamieson.
Interestingly, Ashwin was benched when India toured England for the five-match Test series, as the visitors opted for a pace-heavy attack of four fast bowlers. However, Ashwin is likely to be chosen this time as the top-ranked Test bowler, forming a formidable partnership with the in-form Jadeja against Australia at The Oval. The Oval was where Ashwin recorded his best County figures (6 for 27) in 2021. Speaking of India’s pace battery, senior pacer Umesh Yadav can complement the fast-bowling duo of Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami. All-rounder Shardul Thakur also has an outside chance of making it to the playing XI if Umesh is not considered for the blockbuster clash between the top two ranked teams.
India’s predicted playing XI for the WTC final against Australia:
Openers: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill
Middle-order: Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat (wk)
All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin
Bowlers: Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav/Shardul Thakur
