India has called back a prominent player for their 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC World Test Championship final against Australia, but they still have some challenging choices to make.
India faces a crucial decision on whether to opt for spinners or fast bowlers for the WTC final, given the typically swing and seam-friendly conditions in England.
Get up to 10,000 Welcome Bonus immediately!
Get up to 10,000 Welcome Bonus immediately!
- Easy Sign-Up and Deposits
- Roulette, Teen Patti & Andar Bahar games
- Available in four different Indian languages
The squad includes Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel, all of whom played an instrumental role in India’s 2-1 Test series victory over Australia on home turf.
The spin duo of Ashwin and Jadeja claimed a combined 47 wickets in the Border-Gavaskar series, leaving little doubt about their credentials.
Also Read:
How to Calculate Projected Score in Cricket
Cricket Match Prediction Formula
However, a green-top could tilt the scales in favour of the fast bowlers.
While Axar picked up only three wickets at an average of 62 in the series against Australia, he did manage to score 264 runs at an impressive average of 88, which could prove valuable from a batting perspective.
Australia vs Netherlands, 5th Warm-up game (ODI) ▾
Australia vs Netherlands, 5th Warm-up game (ODI)
30 September 2023
Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram
Netherlands | ||
Australia Inning 1 166/23 (23) Netherlands Inning 1 84/14.2 (14.2) |
No result - 23 overs game due to rain
Canada vs Cayman Islands, 4th Match (T20) ▾
Canada vs Cayman Islands, 4th Match (T20)
01 October 2023
White Hill Field, Sandys Parish, Hamilton
Cayman Islands | ||
Canada Inning 0/0 (0) Cayman Islands Inning 0/0 (0) |
Match not started
Bermuda vs Panama, 3rd Match (T20) ▾
Bermuda vs Panama, 3rd Match (T20)
01 October 2023
White Hill Field, Sandys Parish, Hamilton
Panama | ||
Bermuda Inning 0/0 (0) Panama Inning 0/0 (0) |
Match not started
Hong Kong vs Japan, 8th Match, Group B (T20) ▾
Hong Kong vs Japan, 8th Match, Group B (T20)
01 October 2023
Pingfeng Campus Cricket Field, Hangzhou
Japan | ||
Japan Inning 1 127/19 (19) Hong Kong Inning 1 133/18.5 (18.5) |
Hong Kong won by 5 wkts
Maldives vs Nepal, 7th Match, Group A (T20) ▾
Maldives vs Nepal, 7th Match, Group A (T20)
01 October 2023
Pingfeng Campus Cricket Field, Hangzhou
Nepal | ||
Nepal Inning 1 212/20 (20) Maldives Inning 1 74/19.4 (19.4) |
Nepal won by 138 runs
Kuwait vs Saudi Arabia, 6th Match (T20) ▾
Kuwait vs Saudi Arabia, 6th Match (T20)
01 October 2023
West End Park International Cricket Stadium, Doha
Saudi Arabia | ||
Kuwait Inning 1 174/20 (20) Saudi Arabia Inning 1 175/19.4 (19.4) |
Saudi Arabia won by 3 wkts
Qatar vs Maldives, 5th Match (T20) ▾
Qatar vs Maldives, 5th Match (T20)
01 October 2023
West End Park International Cricket Stadium, Doha
Qatar | ||
Maldives Inning 1 121/20 (20) Qatar Inning 1 125/10.2 (10.2) |
Qatar won by 9 wkts
Northern Cape vs Border, 17th Match (ODI) ▾
Northern Cape vs Border, 17th Match (ODI)
01 October 2023
Diamond Oval, Kimberley
Northern Cape | ||
Northern Cape Inning 1 145/36 (36) Border Inning 1 139/42.1 (42.1) |
Border won by 6 runs
South Western Districts vs South Africa Emerging Players, 16th Match (ODI) ▾
South Western Districts vs South Africa Emerging Players, 16th Match (ODI)
01 October 2023
Recreation Ground, Oudtshoorn
South Western Districts | ||
South Western Districts Inning 1 146/40.2 (40.2) South Africa Emerging Players Inning 1 153/4 (4) |
Innings Break
North West vs Boland, 10th Match (ODI) ▾
North West vs Boland, 10th Match (ODI)
01 October 2023
Senwes Park, Potchefstroom
North West | ||
Boland Inning 1 130/30 (30) North West Inning 0/0 (0) |
North West opt to bowl
Dolphins vs Boland, 1st Match (ODI) ▾
Dolphins vs Boland, 1st Match (ODI)
16 September 2023
Kingsmead, Durban
Dolphins | ||
Boland Inning 1 32/6.3 (6.3) Dolphins Inning 0/0 (0) |
No result (due to rain)
Vanuatu Women vs Japan Women, 1st T20I (T20) ▾
Vanuatu Women vs Japan Women, 1st T20I (T20)
28 August 2023
Independence Park, Port Vila
Vanuatu Women | ||
Vanuatu Women Inning 1 65/19.1 (19.1) Japan Women Inning 1 70/11.3 (11.3) |
Match starts at Aug 28, 02:30 GMT
Northern Superchargers Women vs Welsh Fire Women, Eliminator () ▾
Northern Superchargers Women vs Welsh Fire Women, Eliminator ()
26 August 2023
Kennington Oval, London
Welsh Fire Women | ||
Welsh Fire Women Inning 1 104/75 (75) Welsh Fire Women Inning 0/0 (0) |
No result - due to rain
Bangladesh vs New Zealand, 1st ODI (ODI) ▾
Bangladesh vs New Zealand, 1st ODI (ODI)
21 September 2023
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka
New Zealand | ||
New Zealand Inning 1 136/33.4 (33.4) New Zealand Inning 0/0 (0) |
No result (due to rain)
Saurashtra vs Rest of India, Irani Cup (TEST) ▾
Saurashtra vs Rest of India, Irani Cup (TEST)
01 October 2023
Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot
Saurashtra | ||
Rest of India Inning 1 298/90 (90) Saurashtra Inning 0/0 (0) |
Day 1: Stumps - Rest of India opt to bat
Australia Women vs West Indies Women, 1st T20I (T20) ▾
Australia Women vs West Indies Women, 1st T20I (T20)
01 October 2023
North Sydney Oval, Sydney
West Indies Women | ||
West Indies Women Inning 1 147/20 (20) Australia Women Inning 1 149/13.2 (13.2) |
Australia Women won by 8 wkts
South Africa Women vs New Zealand Women, 3rd ODI (ICC Championship Match) (ODI) ▾
South Africa Women vs New Zealand Women, 3rd ODI (ICC Championship Match) (ODI)
01 October 2023
Kingsmead, Durban
South Africa Women | ||
South Africa Women Inning 1 209/44.3 (44.3) New Zealand Women Inning 1 210/43.2 (43.2) |
New Zealand Women won by 6 wkts (DLS method)
England Women vs Sri Lanka Women, 2nd ODI (ODI) ▾
England Women vs Sri Lanka Women, 2nd ODI (ODI)
17 September 2023
County Ground, Northampton
Sri Lanka Women | ||
Sri Lanka Women Inning 1 106/30.5 (30.5) Sri Lanka Women Inning 0/0 (0) |
No result (due to rain)
Despite missing Jasprit Bumrah due to a back injury, India has several fast-bowling alternatives to choose from.
Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Umesh Yadav have been picked as the primary pacers, while Shardul Thakur and Jaydev Unadkat are the probable backups.
Shami was the standout performer among the Indian quicks in the series against Australia, taking nine wickets.
Additionally, Shami’s experience in playing a WTC final against New Zealand in 2021 could prove valuable for the team.
Although Mohammed Siraj missed out on the WTC decider, he bounced back and claimed 18 wickets against England in the five Tests played between 2021 and 2022.
Meanwhile, Umesh Yadav has also made a significant impact with his recent performances.
However, India has kept the door open to add some spice to their pace attack with the inclusion of medium-pacer Jaydev Unadkat.
While Unadkat has only played two Tests, the left-arm bowler could bring useful variety to the line-up.
Given that Shami, Siraj, and Yadav are all right-arm pacers, India may consider Unadkat as a left-field option for the WTC final.
Despite being the top-ranked T20I batsman according to the ICC MRF Tyres T20I Batting Rankings, Suryakumar Yadav has yet to cement his place in India’s Test team.
The 32-year-old made his belated Test debut in February 2021 against Australia but managed only eight runs in India’s only innings, resulting in his exclusion from the team for the remaining matches in the series.
Yadav’s chances of earning a spot in the Test team were hindered by his poor performances in the three ODIs that followed the Test series, where he registered three successive ducks.
As a result, the T20I star has been left out of India’s squad for the WTC final.
Nevertheless, Yadav’s previous performances on the big stage suggest that he will have more opportunities in the future.
Ajinkya Rahane has been recalled to the India squad for the WTC final after being absent from the Test side since January 2022.
However, it is uncertain whether he will secure a place in the playing XI, given the depth of India’s batting unit.
The opening slot alongside Rohit Sharma is still up for debate, but if Shubman Gill partners with the captain at the top, it is likely that Rahane will slot into the middle order, resulting in KL Rahul’s exclusion.
- IPL Points Table 2023: Tracking Your Favourites
- IPL Points Table 2023: Tracking Your Favourites
- Kasey Aldridge’s Fifty Helps Somerset Score Enough Runs to Earn A Draw
- IPL 2023: David Warner Charged Despite Delhi Capitals Win Over Sunrisers Hyderabad
- To Ishant Sharma, From Ajinkya Rahane: Comeback Gods Of IPL 2023
While Gill is in good form after his century against Australia in Ahmedabad, he appears to be more flexible in terms of batting roles, which could mean both Rahul and Gill featuring in the XI, leaving Rahane to be a reserve player.
Although it seems unlikely given the challenging nature of keeping in England, India could take a bold step and hand the gloves to KL Rahul, resulting in the exclusion of KS Bharat and the inclusion of both Rahane and Gill.
Nevertheless, there is also a debate surrounding the No.6 position in the batting order.
200% Welcome Bonus | SPRIBE
200% Welcome Bonus | SPRIBE
- Fastest Indian Rupees Withdrawals
- Roulette, Teen Patti & Andar Bahar games
- 300% Welcome Bonus up to ₹10,000
Ravindra Jadeja batted in that position during the home Border-Gavaskar series, but he could only muster 135 runs at an average of 27 across five innings.
In English conditions, there may be a discussion of pushing Jadeja and KS Bharat down the order, strengthening India’s batting unit.