As the cricketing world braces itself for a colossal clash in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final, India finds itself in a favorable position, having emerged victorious in their recent Test series against Australia. However, underestimating Australia would be a grave mistake, considering their wealth of experience and strong squad.
The much-anticipated battle is set to unfold at the iconic Oval in London, commencing on June 7. With both teams boasting immense potential, the match is expected to be a closely fought encounter. As the excitement mounts for the finals, the Indian cricket legend, Sunil Gavaskar, unveiled his thoughts on the starting lineup for India, while shedding light on an area of concern within the star-studded batting order.
He has picked Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill as his opening combination. Cheteshwar Pujara takes the coveted No. 3 spot, followed by the indomitable Virat Kohli at No. 4 and the resilient Ajinkya Rahane at No. 5. However, it is at No. 6 where there is slight apprehension, commented Gavaskar during an appearance on Star Sports.
Delving further into his analysis, Gavaskar has considered either Srikar Bharat or Ishan Kishan for the No.6 position. The spotlight is currently on Bharat due to his steady performances thus far. Therefore, it is likely that Bharat will retain his place at No. 6.
Shifting his focus to India’s formidable pace-bowling attack, Gavaskar emphasised the significance of Shardul Thakur, the seam-bowling all-rounder, complementing the duo of Mohammad Shami and Mohammed Siraj during the showdown. “As for No. 7, Ravindra Jadeja will fill that role,” he said. “If the conditions are favourable and the forecast promising, Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin will occupy the No. 7 and No. 8 slots, respectively.” Gavaskar added that the last three spots would be occupied byShami,Siraj, and, possibly,Shardul.
Proudly presenting his chosen Indian playing XI for the World Test Championship final, Gavaskar unveiled the following line-up: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Shardul Thakur.
With Gavaskar’s astute evaluation and carefully chosen lineup, Team India stands poised to embark on their quest for glory in the highly anticipated WTC final. The stage is set, and cricket enthusiasts worldwide eagerly await this enthralling battle of the giants.
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