Picture Credit: Twitter/Wasim Jaffer
Former India opener Wasin Jaffer has predicted India’s possible Playing XI for the ICC World Test Championship final set to happen between India and New Zealand from Friday. Although some cricket fans and experts think India may not go ahead with two spinners and Ishant Sharma in the side, Jaffer has given the lanky pacer a nod in his XI sheerly based on his experience of bowling in English conditions.
Jaffer said that Sharma could be an ideal choice since he has played over 100 Test matches and also has experience of bowling in County Cricket. However, he also lauded young Mohammed Siraj who picked 12 wickets in three Tests in Australia. Many analysts and fans have picked Siraj ahead of Sharma in their XI because of his ability to constantly hit the same line and length and trouble the batters.
Meanwhile, those who have backed Sharma have highlighted that he becomes more accurate when he bowls the third and the fourth spells. He spoke about going ahead with Ishant in his XI in the first episode on his YouTube Channel.
Siraj had a good Test series against Australia: Jaffer
“I feel the fast bowlers, especially Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, pick themselves. They are outstanding bowlers and then you have a choice between Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Siraj who had a really good Test series against Australia,” he said.
The 43-year -old also went ahead with both Ashwin and Jadeja in the side.
“I would definitely think about playing two spinners because both of them can bat so Jadeja will come at 7 and Ashwin at 8 and both have got Test hundreds. So you have that liberty of playing an off-spinner and a left-arm spinner. The ball will spin on the fourth and fifth day and these guys will come in handy,” he said.
“Knowing Ravi Shastri, Virat Kohli, they always go with an aggressive mindset, with the thinking of winning the Test, I am sure they will go with five bowlers,” the Indian domestic cricket legend reasoned.
Wasim Jaffer’s Indian XI for the WTC Final: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah