Team India will play Australia in the final of the World Test Championship in 2023. The match will take place on June 7 at London’s Oval Ground. India is in its second final in a row. In 2021, they lost to New Zealand. They will try to go one step further and win the title this year. From India’s point of view, the good news is that many key players are in good shape. The Indian Premier League just ended, and the Orange Cap winner was Shubman Gill. The Purple Cap winner was Mohammed Shami. Ravindra Jadeja had a great IPL season with both the bat and the ball. Virat Kohli is also in great shape.
But even though some players are at their best, the key to winning will be choosing the right starting XI after taking the weather into account. Before the very important WTC final, Rahul Dravid and Rohit have to answer three big questions.
As wicketkeeper, do you want KS Bharat or Ishan Kishan?
This year’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test playing 11 for Team India included KS Bharat in place of Rishabh Pant. He was pretty good with the gloves, but he wasn’t up to par as a hitter. Ishan Kishan is the other batsman and wicketkeeper on the team. He is a better batsman than Bharat. But Kishan has never played in a Test match, so putting him right into the team could be a big risk. Also, the weather at The Oval will make the ball spin a lot, which will test a keeper’s skills. Knowing this, Bharat may get the nod.
Who will be the third runner?
India’s new ball bowlers in the final will definitely be Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj. Who will be India’s third fast bowler? Umesh Yadav and Jaydev Unadkat will be tied for the third pacer’s spot. Unadkat does a version with his left arm, while Umesh is faster and more agile. Umesh has also been around longer than Unadkat. It will be fun to see who gets picked for the big matchup.
All-rounder who can bowl fast or spin
There is also the question of whether or not they will play with two spinners. Ravindra Jadeja, a left-handed conventional spinner, seems like a sure pick. It will be interesting to see if R. Ashwin or Shardul Thakur, both all-rounders, get a spot in the XI. Ashwin has a lot of knowledge, and Thakur can move the ball quickly. It will all depend on how the weather goes over the five days of the test match.
