Picture Credit: Twitter/BCCI
Ahead of the ICC World Test Championship final, the Indian cricket team has announced their 15-member squad for the all-important clash against New Zealand. The squad is on expected lines, with two notable omissions being that of Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul. This suggests that the tried and tested opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill is likely to continue opening the batting despite Gill’s poor returns with the bat in recent outings.
Meanwhile, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma and Mohammad Siraj have all been included in the squad, with both wicketkeepers Rishabh Pant and Wriddhiman Saha also managing to find a place in the side.
Shardul Thakur fails to make the cut
While a few cricket experts believed that Shardul Thakur could be looked at as an option for the titular clash due to his added ability with the bat and seam friendly condition on offer at the Ageas Bowl, the venue for the all-important match, he has failed to make the cut for the final 15. The selection also means that India's top 6 more or less looks settled with Cheteshwar Pujara coming in at number 3 followed by Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Rishabh Pant. The call for the final will likely be based on the weather conditions heading into the game and the forecast for the duration of the match. Notably, a reserve day has also been kept to make up for any time lost during the match.
India's squad for World Test Championship final against New Zealand
Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Wriddhiman Saha, Umesh Yadav and Hanuma Vihari.