With more than two months to go before the final, the Indian team management will have to make some tough decisions regarding the playing XI.
India emerged victorious in the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, defeating Australia 2-1 in a thrilling contest that concluded last week in Ahmedabad. The victory not only saw India beat the world's top-ranked Test team on their home turf but also retain the coveted Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Furthermore, India's triumph confirmed their place in the final of the ICC World Test Championship, which will take place from June 7-11 at the Oval in London, where they will once again face off against the Australian team.
As the countdown to the final begins, cricket enthusiasts and experts alike are eagerly discussing Team India's potential playing XI for the big match. One of the most hotly debated positions is that of the wicketkeeper-batter. During the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, KS Bharat filled in for the injured Rishabh Pant as the wicketkeeper-batter in all four matches. While he did a decent job behind the stumps, his batting performance left much to be desired, scoring only 101 runs in six innings over four Tests.
With more than two months to go before the final, the Indian team management will have to make some tough decisions regarding the playing XI. The wicketkeeper-batter position is crucial, and the team will need someone who can not only keep wickets but also contribute significantly with the bat.
Many former cricket legends advocated for KL Rahul to be included in the team as a wicketkeeper-batter for the final match, thanks to his impressive batting skills. However, former opener Gautam Gambhir disagreed with this idea and criticized those who formed an opinion about Bharat after only four games. Gambhir supported the candidacy of the Andhra cricketer and emphasized the importance of having a specialist wicketkeeper rather than a part-time one.
According to former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri, Rahul should be included in the WTC Final. Shastri believes that the 30-year-old has been performing well in ODIs and will bring stability to the team's batting lineup. Additionally, he is confident that Rahul will have no difficulty keeping up with the pace of the game.
"KL Rahul should be keeping. Clear-cut. You don't have to keep much to the spinners. At No. 5 or 6, he can strengthen the batting and can keep wicket too. Of course, he can also keep in Tests because you have to see the all-round strength. It's not like the keeper that we have right now is so good that he can't be dropped. He is also a newcomer, KS Bharat, and he will learn with exposure, but for this one-off big game, you have to weigh all the options," Shastri told reporters during Legends League Cricket in Doha.
Bharat's performance was closely examined after he failed to make a couple of crucial stumping opportunities and dropped several easy catches throughout the series. This raised concerns about his ability to perform under pressure and maintain his position in the team.
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