Team India is dealing with a massive injury crisis before the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at The Oval in June.
Key players including Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer are unable to participate in the match. Meanwhile, the participation of Jaydev Unadkat and Umesh Yadav is in doubt due to injuries sustained during the recent Indian Premier League (IPL).
India has already added some experience like Ajinkya Rahane, who was released last year following a string of poor performances. A few more experienced cricketers had legitimate claims to be selected for the one-off match but were denied.
India’s squad for the WTC final: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Ruturaj Gaikwad (standby), Mukesh Kumar (standby), Suryakumar Yadav (standby).
Here are three senior Indian cricketers who should have been recalled to India’s WTC team.
3) Hanuma Vihari
Hanuma Vihari has unluckily gotten the short end of the stick in his international career so far. The middle-order batter last played for India in July 2022, after being used in a variety of positions and conditions before being curiously dropped from the squad.
Vihari has been plagued by ailments recently and has had a terrible domestic season for Andhra. He earned headlines for his valiant injury-defying performance against Madhya Pradesh, but in 14 Ranji Trophy innings, he only managed two fifties and no centuries.
Vihari’s strong technique and ability to bat time, on the other hand, would have aided India, who would be without two crucial cogs in their middle order in Shreyas and Pant. He has already played a few of crucial games for the national team and has shown to be a player who rises to the situation.
As Virat Kohli’s form is inconsistent and due to Cheteshwar Pujara’s poor records in England, the 29-year-old may have given value to the team.
2) Ishant Sharma
Ishant Sharma is one of India’s most successful Test bowlers in history, having taken 311 wickets in 105 Test matches The 34-year-old last represented his nation in November 2021.
Ishant has been in the wilderness since then, with selectors’ willingness to keep him in the mix limited by his rising age and injury worries. Rohit Sharma and company have a plethora of younger options, and the seasoned fast bowler no longer fits the bill.
However, India might benefit from a bowler of Ishant’s ability in the WTC final. Without Bumrah and maybe Unadkat, they’ll need someone to hold the fort and keep things tight from one end.
Ishant, who has seam movement in both directions and has put in a few spectacular performances in England, might have made a huge contribution. He has picked up the pace in the IPL and seems to be in good form.
1) Wriddhiman Saha
Wriddhiman Saha was advised by head coach Rahul Dravid that he will not be part of the team’s plans in the longest format at some time during the first quarter of 2022. The veteran goalkeeper last appeared in a red-ball game for India in December 2021.
Had Pant been healthy and available, Saha would not have been on the pitch. His batting talent in the longest format isn’t even on the same level as Pant’s, and he’s had injury issues in the past.
However, with the side’s regular keeper recovering from a horrific car crash, the 38-year-old might be the best option on paper.
KS Bharat and Ishan Kishan don’t inspire much confidence, and in England, the ball is going to travel around a lot. Saha, whose goalkeeping abilities are as sharp as ever, might have won a surprise return ahead of the younger two.
As they say, teams should always play their best keeper, and that’s just what Saha is even at his advanced age.
