India Playing XI vs AUS: India captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid have stuck to four-seamer formula. That means there is no place for Ravichandran Ashwin. Ravindra Jadeja is the sole spinner in the side. Furthermore, it’s KS Bharat who is keeping while Ishan Kishan stays as the bench warmer. Both Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur both get spots.
India Playing XI: Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Srikar Bharat(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj
“The conditions and also the weather being overcast. The pitch won’t change too much. Four seamers and one spinner. The spinner is Jadeja. It’s always tough (to leave Ashwin), he’s been a match-winner. He (Rahane) brings a lot of experience, he’s played 80-odd Tests,” Rohit Sharma said at the toss.
Given the injury crisis, much of India’s lineup is well-settled and picks itself. Rohit Sharma has a red-hot Shubman Gill to partner at the top, while Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli form a formidable top 4.
Ajinkya Rahane returns to the Indian side and will shore up the middle order alongside Ravindra Jadeja. With no left-handers in the top-order, Jadeja could very well earn himself a promotion to no.5. On his last visit to England, he had smashed a century at Edgbaston. Jadeja’s inclusion means that Axar Patel warms the bench.
Patel was in scintillating form during the Border Gavaskar Trophy but his inclusion is a no-go in foreign conditions.
Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj pick themselves in overseas conditions. While Siraj and Shami lead the attack, Thakur will provide a third seam option while also strengthening the lower-order batting.
KS Bharat despite poor run of form keeps his place, forcing Ishan Kishan on the bench.
No Ashwin in India Playing XI:
It was going to be tricky and it has. Ashwin is out of the playing XI with India picking Jadeja as the sole spinner and Umesh Yadav as the 4th seamer.
The reason is the 6mm coverage of grass and overcast conditions. With little assist to spinners on Oval pitch, Umesh Yadav plays in the WTC Final.
India Squad WTC Final: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat
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