If cricket fans around the world have to pick one team which thoroughly deserved to be in the final of the Cricket World Test Championship, their unanimous vote will fall in the kitty of India and not New Zealand, who command both respect and admiration from all corners. Indeed, New Zealand may be fans’ favourite from all corners of this globe but Virat Kohli’s Indian cricket team is the one, which was the last but yet the most deserving one, to make it to the summit clash of the inaugural Cricket World Test Championship.
The two teams will clash in the final of the Cricket WTC starting on Friday at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton on Friday, June 18, and nothing less than a scintillating contest between the two of the finest teams in the world will be expected over the next five days of cricket.
India thrive against challenges
India had had the toughest of roads into the final—they had to beat Australia in Australia without a string of their first-choice players, which turned out to be a herculean yet a historical achievement. The win in Australia propelled India into the final of the WTC, and if they emerge victorious after four or five days of challenging cricket in adverse and alien conditions, this team would yet again have flourished against all odds.
And that is something they enjoy doing the most. The leaders of the Indian think tank, captain Kohli, coach Ravi Shastri and the other key figures in Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ishant Sharma cherish challenges. Each of these players tend to thrive in pressure situations, and the coming few months will test them to the hilt when they take on New Zealand in the WTC final followed by an intense five-Test series against New Zealand.
India’s tricky opponent
Meanwhile, plenty in the world of cricket have been of the opinion that New Zealand never have had to play outside their home to make it to the final of the Cricket WTC, but it is certainly not the fault of the Kiwis if the others in Australia and England and even South Africa to some extent were simply poor over the period of two years. New Zealand are coming into the final having defeated England in a two-match Test series for their first away win since 1999, which also consolidated their position at the top spot in the Cricket Test Rankings for teams.
Best team for the job?
India have announced their 15-man side for the match starting on Friday and their team looks strong enough to prevail in all conditions. The opening role will once again fall on the shoulders of Rohit and Shubman Gill, who both have a point to prove. Rohit needs some runs under his belt in alien conditions where the movement of the ball troubles him the most, and Gill has to regain the form and runs which he lost after the end of Australia tour.
Pujara averages around 29 in England, which is certainly a worry going into the six Tests that the Indian team will play in the coming weeks. Rahane’s form has been inconsistent and the India Test vice-captain will hope for better returns from this tour. The presence of maverick Rishabh Pant has kept out KL Rahul, who has been out of form for a while in the longest format of the game and will have to wait further to make a comeback.
India’s bowling attack looks extremely well-balanced but it remains to be seen if Hanuma Vihari and Ravindra Jadeja both find a place in the playing XI. Both had played their roles to perfection in Australia and it might just get to be a harsh call that the Indian team has had to take.
There has been suggestions that Indian fast bowler Mohammed Siraj will be played ahead of the venerable Ishant, which could be slightly wrong given the fact that the latter is far more experienced of conditions in England and has polished his art in the county circuit, which has eventually benefitted the Indian cricket team. The others in Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravichandran Ashwin are certainty as India look to create history.
India squad for Cricket World Test Championship final against New Zealand: Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane (vc), Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj.
