Rohit Sharma already thinking about WTC Final; says “will do something different in Ahmedabad”

India are all set to face Australia in the third Test of the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy at the Holkar Stadium in Indore from 1-5 March. India are already leading 2-0 and need one win to clinch the series as well as a spot in the World Test Championship Final. If India win the Indore Test, they will make it to the summit clash of the WTC for the second time in a row and will have a chance to win an ICC title for the first time in ten years. 

But for that, India will need to prepare well and not make the mistakes like last time when they faltered big time against New Zealand. India will have ten days’ time in the build-up to the summit clash as the new season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) ends on 28 May. These ten days might not be sufficient to prepare for the big clash and hence India captain Rohit Sharma has already started making strategies for the WTC Final. 

As Sharma attended the pre-match press conference on Tuesday ahead of the third Test, he indicated that the team might look to emulate England-like conditions in Ahmedabad to prepare for the mega clash given India wins the Indore Test. The Indian skipper also hinted at major changes to the playing XI which might feature in the WTC Final too. 

"There is definitely a possibility of that," Rohit said on the eve of the Indore Test. "We have already spoken about it. We need to get the guys ready for it. The important one is Shardul Thakur, because he comes into the planning for us. 

“We don't know how ready he is since he has just gotten married. We don't know how many overs he has bowled. But that thought process is definitely there. If we do what we do here and get the result we want, we might think of doing something different in Ahmedabad for sure."

However, Rohit was quick to shift focus to the third Test but also took time to laud the effort of the team for potentially making it to the WTC Final twice in two editions. "It will be a great achievement. After the last WTC championship, the way we played in certain conditions has been remarkable," the Indian captain said.