The ICC Test Mace has already evaded Team India once. Rohit Sharma & Co will look to turn their fortunes around this time when they take on Australia in the WTC final starting June 7 at The Oval.
The task has been laid out for the Hitman.
If he is to lay claim to a victory against a side as formidable as Pat Cummins’, Rohit has to pick his best men for the battle.
Apart from the skipper, seniors like Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Mohammed Shami have cemented their spots in the playing XI.
However, it is the remaining empty spaces that are up for contention.
Injuries have plagued the Indian side from the very beginning. India's premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been out of action for nearly a year.
Test maestro Rishabh Pant was ruled out at the beginning of 2023 following a horrific car accident.
Since then, India announced a 15-member squad in April for the WTC Final.
However, wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul suffered a thigh injury. Pacers Umesh Yadav and Jaydev Unadkat were down with minor issues.
Their participation in the summit clash seemed impossible. However, the two pacers are currently in good shape and already in England.
While 31-year-old Rahul had to undergo a surgery rendering him unable to play for the WTC Final.
No prizes for guessing, skipper Rohit Sharma should open along with Shubman Gill.
23-year-old Gill has displayed exemplary form throughout the year, with centuries in all 3 formats for India.
Rohit might not have impressed in the IPL but he scored a hundred against Australia in the home Test series recently.
There is no question about the number 3 spot. The man who stood the test of the Australian bowling attack during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, vice-captain Cheteshwar Pujara will return to the crease as the first middle-order batter.
The Kangaroos will be extra cautious against Pujara, who has spent the past two months playing in the English County, making him best suited to the playing conditions in England.
A back in form Virat Kohli will follow bat at his regular number 4 spot. After a drought of runs, the star of Indian cricket struck form in 2022 and has not looked back ever since.
Most recently, Kohli played a valiant knock of 186 versus Australia during the final Border-Gavaskar Test, taking his total tally of centuries against them to eight.
India’s line-up just grows steadier lower down the order.
Ajinkya Rahane is back in the mix following Shreyas Iyer’s absence due to an injury. His return, however, was not the easiest. After being dropped in 2022, the former Test captain went back to domestic cricket. An incredible Ranji Trophy season saw him score 2 hundreds and average almost 58.
He added weightage to his form with some match-winning knocks for IPL winners Chennai Super Kings.
The following spot is likely to be grabbed by Rahane’s CSK teammate Ravindra Jadeja. The second-half of the order will see all-rounders making the cut.
Jaddu featured for India in the 2023 BGT Series as well and it was his exploits with the bat and the ball throughout that cemented his place in the WTC Playing XI.
However, apart from Jadeja, the question remains will India field another spinner in damp conditions like that of England? Probably not.
But before the pacers, India still needs a wicket-keeper.
KS Bharat and Ishan Kishan are in contention for the spot in the absence of regular Rishabh Pant.
Figures from the domestic circuit favour KS Bharat, as well as experience playing versus Australia in the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Series.
Ishan Kishan is yet to make his Test debut and India is unlikely to field a newcomer against a powerful side like Australia.
And finally, the coveted bowling unit, that can make or break the team.
Two years ago, India made the mistake of going into the WTC Final without adequate pacers and subsequently lost the Test Mace to New Zealand.
India is without Jasprit Bumrah, which has seen veteran Mohammed Shami lead the charge with Mohammed Siraj by his side.
But what is the other combination that Rohit will pick?
All-rounder Shardul Thakur has an excellent record in the only Test he has played against Australia in Brisbane 2021.
He took a 7-fer while also smashing an all-important 67, a match which India eventually won.
The other top contenders in the fast-bowling department are Umesh Yadav and Jaydev Unadkat.
However, Umesh Yadav is likely to take precedence over Jaydev Unadkat due to his skills to double up as a batter when needed.
The stakes are high and the margin for error is very less but it remains to be seen how Team India overcome the first challenge of the massive World Test Championship Final, selecting their final Playing XI.
