The journey to the second edition of the World Test Championship (WTC) Final is complete. Australia and India have been selected to contest the grand finale starting on June 7 at The Oval. Australia had previously secured their place in the competition, but now that the second contender is revealed, the excitement of the final can begin.
India has an impressive record in the World Test Championship, having reached the Final for the second time running. Led by Rohit Sharma, the squad hopes to turn the tables on New Zealand, whom they lost to in 2021. To achieve this, there are three main things that India must address:
#1 Perfect bowling combination for the WTC final
India’s greatest worry is selecting a successful bowling combination for the pivotal WTC Final. As seen in 2021, when India attempted 2 spinners and 3 pacers approach, it had an unproductive outcome. Going with a 4-1 strategy may be the way to go this time, which leads to whether Ravindra Jadeja or Ravichandran Ashwin should be included in the line-up.
#2 Iyer’s fitness
Shreyas Iyer had to sit out of the first two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Series due to a back injury resolved before his return in the second game. However, during the final Test match in Ahmedabad, he was again absent from the playing field and did not turn up for batting either. His absence has left a gap in India’s middle order, and Suryakumar Yadav will likely be discussed to fill the role.
#3 The wicketkeeper’s dilemma
KS Bharat made his Test debut in the opening match of the Border-Gavaskar series in Nagpur and was featured for the entire series. His contributions with the bat were insignificant, tallying only 101 runs in all six innings. Unfortunately, also his wicket-keeping skills appeared to have dropped considerably as the series progressed. India now has to decide whether they want to keep Bharat or take a chance on Ishan Kishan, who has similarities with the team’s premier test wicket-keeper, Rishabh Pant.