Ravi Shastri’s 12-man Indian squad for World Test Championship final: Ishan Kishan or KS Bharath?

The final of the World Test Championship (WTC) between India and Australia is about to begin in a few days. Team India, led by Rohit Sharma, will be eager to erase the bitter memories of their defeat against New Zealand in the last WTC final and get their hands on the coveted trophy this time.

However, when the match starts at The Oval on June 7, the Australian team will not be under pressure. Since 2013, India have come extremely close to claiming the ICC trophy on several occasions, only to be disappointed. However, this WTC final marks their second appearance and represents a golden opportunity for the team to end their trophy drought.

Unfortunately, the Indian team will face this challenge without the services of some key players like Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant due to injuries. The Indian pace line-up is strong even in the absence of Bumrah. Pant’s absence and his match-winning ability, however, has created a dilemma of selection between Ishan Kishan and KS Bharat.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri, who understands the dynamics of the side, has weighed in on the issue. The management should go through the terms of the offer before choosing its side, he added. He also gave the example of last year’s WTC final and explained why he picked the playing XI.

“Reflecting on our last final in Southampton, we must learn from that experience. It is important to select a team that suits the prevailing conditions. In Southampton, the weather was mainly cloudy which affected my selection,” Shastri said in an interview with the host broadcasters.

Shastri picked his favorite side and went with Ajinkya Rahane at No.5 after the likes of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli.

He said that he would choose either KS Bharat or Ishan Kishan mainly depending on the circumstances. Shastri said that if India chooses two spinners, they may choose him because of Bharath’s superior wicket-keeping skills.

“If we go with four fast bowlers and one spinner, then the selection will go in the other direction. In our line-up, Ravindra Jadeja will be at number six, Mohammed Shami at number seven, Mohammed Siraj at number eight and Shardul Thakur at number nine. Ravichandran Ashwin will continue in the playing eleven, Umesh Yadav will complete the twelve-man squad,” said Shastri.