India should not choose the playing XI for the World Test Championship final with a predetermined mindset as they did two years ago, says former chief selector MSK Prasad, who thinks it would be very difficult to fill injured Rishabh Pant’s shoes as its overseas achievements are second to none. India’s move to pick two spinners – Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja – in the 2021 WTC final against New Zealand backfired as pacers dominated play in cloudy conditions at Southampton.
Spin could feature in the final against Australia at The Oval in London from June 7, but Prasad advised the team to make the final call-up depending on the circumstances at the time.
“We went with two spinners and three fast bowlers in mind, but then it rained. We should have changed our plans, somehow we stayed with the same playing eleven. But that’s in the past.
“It all depends on the conditions in The Oval. It’s the actual story of the movie, the pitch and the conditions. We don’t know what they’ll be like in five days, so we shouldn’t fix our minds in advance and understand the conditions .” and support your instincts,” the former Indian wicketkeeper told PTI.
‘No other India goalkeeper has done what Pant has done’
Pant, who has scored centuries in England, Australia and South Africa, will not be available for a counter-attack if the top order fails. Prasad feels KS Bharat is the automatic choice in Pant’s absence, but the latter’s batting ability is rare.
“It’s quite easy to pick Bharat (instead of Ishan Kishan). It’s really hard to fill Rishabh’s shoes, especially in an away series. In the history of all Indian cricket, no other wicketkeeper has hundreds in England, South Africa and Australia, so it is very difficult to replace him.
“You have to have a wicket keeper who is fit and fit for 100 overs. This is a test match and we have to think from that aspect.
“But if you think you can have Ishan Kishan, Bharat is tried and tested and has played India A in England, so maybe they’ll go with him,” said Prasad, who was the main selector between 2016 and 2020.
‘How India’s top league fares against the Aussie pace attack will decide the game’
India’s star-studded top four consisting of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli are expected to face the likes of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins. Ajinkya Rahane at the age of five also adds to the experience of the batting unit.
“That’s going to decide the fate of the game. How our top order will cope with their fast bowling.
“With Gill in the form of his life, Rohit already has a hundred in England, Kohli is in great form and Pujara has many runs in county cricket and Ajinkya with his experience. It’s the best we can have to fight and win the game,” Prasad said.
“Gill has shown that he can adapt to formats”
Gill has recorded centuries in various formats over the past six months and has been the standout hitter in the IPL.
“It’s all about the mentality and Gill has now adapted to different formats. In IPL he did say about technical changes he made in his batting to improve the batting frequency. So if a player can change his mentality according to the format, is he going to do well in any format.
“That’s what he’s done in different formats. I hope he will replicate that form in England,” said the 48-year-old who played six Tests and 17 ODIs between 1998-99.
“Hard to ignore both Jadeja and Ashwin when necessary”
If India goes with four pacers, choosing between Ashwin and Jadeja will be very difficult given what they bring to the table, Prasad said.
“Jadeja has been so good lately that he can play as a specialist batsman. It’s a tough call when you consider what both have to offer, it’s hard to ignore. Ashwin with his 400+ wickets and he’s someone who is who can bowl on any surface. When it comes down to it, it’s going to be a really hard decision,” he said.
Another tough choice will be to choose between Umesh Yadav and all-rounder Shardul Thakur.
“That’s the trickiest part. When you see the stats, Umesh are more successful in home conditions compared to away conditions, so choosing Shardul gives you that batting advantage. You also need to have long batting depth against a quality attack like Australia,” added Prasad to it.
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