WTC final: Tom Moody picks KS Bharat, Shardul Thakur over Ishan Kishan and R Ashwin
Former Australian cricketer Tom Moody has picked KS Bharath and Shardul Thakur ahead of Ishan Kishan and Ravichandran Ashwin in his India’s playing XI for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia. India will play Australia in the 2023 WTC final starting June 7 at The Oval in London.
Apart from that Moody has picked comeback man Ajinkya Rahane at number five. In addition to Moody former Indian selector Sarandeep Singh too went with KS Bharat over Kishan .“KS Bharat for sure. He is a proper Test match wicketkeeper and we saw that against Australia at home, he kept superbly. He has been around for a while and he should get the opportunity,”
“Ishan is an opener. I am not saying he is not capable of playing Tests. He is one for the future but he opens in limited overs cricket. Things will be different at number six.
“Yes he goes hard from ball one, which can be counter productive in England, but Bharat can also bat well and play shots also,” he reasoned.
However, Sarandeep picked Umesh Yadav over Shardul Thakur as the fourth seamer. “I am picking Umesh ahead of Shardul because he has that extra pace and he can reverse the old ball, he can be very helpful on that Oval track.”
India qualified for the 2023 World Test Championship Final second on the points table with 127 points and 58.8 Points Percentage System (PCT). While they lost the series in South Africa and drew a five-match series in England, India enjoyed a near perfect record at home with wins against New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Australia and another away series triumph in Bangladesh.
Australia on the other hand, qualified top of the table with wins in all three home series during the 2021/23 cycle including a 4-0 Ashes thumping. Other than this, the Pat Cummins-led side regered a 1-0 in Pakan and a 1-1 draw in Sri Lanka before losing 2-1 in India.
This is India’s second World Test Championship Final appearance of the two so far. The Virat Kohli-led side had lost to Kane Williamson’s New Zealand in the 2019/21 cycle’s summit clash.
