WTC Final: India's probable XI for the summit clash
India will be up against Australia in the high-voltage ICC World Test Championship final, starting on June 7 at the Kennington Oval in London. With a PCT of 58.8 %, India finished the 2021-23 cycle at the second place, only behind Australia. Meanwhile, injuries to multiple prominent players have dented India's plans. Here we decode their probable XI for the summit clash.
Rohit, Gill to open
With KL Rahul being unavailable, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill are set to take the opening spots. The Indian skipper has been on multiple tours to England and is well-versed with the conditions. Meanwhile, Gill has also played a couple of Tests in England, including the 2021 WTC final versus New Zealand. Moreover, the youngster has been in stellar form lately.
Pujara, Kohli, Rahane to form the middle order
Veterans Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, and Ajinkya Rahane would be the next set of batters in the line-up. While Pujara has been among massive runs in the ongoing County Championship season, Kohli and Rahane had impressive outings in the recently-concluded 2023 Indian Premier League. Notably, the clash would mark Rahane's return to the Test team as Shreyas Iyer missed out due to an injury.
The wicket-keeping conundrum
KS Bharat and Ishan Kishan are fighting for the wicket-keeper's spot. The former was preferred during the home Test series versus Australia earlier this year though he could not do much with the bat. Hence, many reckon, Kishan, who can create a Rishabh Pant-like impact, can be considered. The southpaw, who is still uncapped in Tests, did well in IPL 2023.
Here are the all-rounders
Arguably the finest all-rounder going around, Ravindra Jadeja would take the seventh spot. It would be a toss-up between Shardul Thakur and Ravichandran Ashwin for the following position. The former might get the nod as due to the seam-friendly conditions in London. Besides eight wickets in three Tests in England, Thakur also owns a couple of fifties in the nation.
Who will form the bowling attack?
The remaining three spots will be occupied by pacers. While Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj are certain to make the cut, Umesh Yadav and Jaydev Unadkat are fighting for the final spot. Though Unadkat's left-arm pace adds variety to the attack, Yadav has prior experience in England. Moreover, the latter has pace in his arsenal which can be handy in English conditions.
India's Predicted Playing XI for WTC XI
India's (Probable XI): Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Shardul Thakur, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav.
