Former India cricketer and head coach Ravi Shastri has selected his India XI to face Australia in the keenly anticipated ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23 final. Beginning on June 7, the two fierce adversaries will compete for the prestigious mace at The Oval in London.
Ravi Shastri thinks that the English weather will have a significant impact on India’s lineup prior to the crucial one-off Test against Australia. He believes the think tank would consist of two spinners and two pacers to achieve a balance in England‘s conditions.
“If the course is hard and dry, you should definitely play two spinners. I believe it corresponds well with the English climate. I believe it is currently sunny, but you know how the English climate can change in the month of June. There is a high likelihood that India will field two spinners, two fast bowlers, and one all-rounder. This is the combination, Shastri stated in ‘The ICC Review’.
“There will then be five batsmen plus the wicketkeeper, for a total of six batsmen. So, if all conditions at The Oval remain normal, this would be my lineup, but you’ve got to have the ability to send those guys out there,” he added.
Rahane has merited his position on that WTC team: Ravi Shastri
Due to KL Rahul’s injury to his right quadriceps, Team India is likely to back Shubman Gill to open the batting alongside captain Rohit Sharma. Shastri also supported Ajinkya Rahane’s inclusion in the XI, citing his impressive batting performance in the ongoing IPL 2023.
“The way he has judged the ball and his unique perspective on Twenty20 cricket. It just goes to illustrate (what happens) when you endure the grind: you end up playing domestic cricket again. He has earned his spot on the World Test Championship team. Now you’ll have to wait until closer to the event to determine the final eleven,” he added.
Shastri’s India XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, KS Bharat (wk), Shardul Thakur, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj
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