WTC Final: Ravi Shastri picks only 4 Indians in his combined India-Australia XI

Former India coach Ravi Shastri recently unveiled his Combined WTC XI during an episode of The ICC Review. As the anticipation for the forthcoming World Test Championship final between India and Australia grows, Shastri faced the challenging task of selecting the best combined XI.

Acknowledging the abundance of world-class players on both teams, Shastri finalized his XI, with some surprising choices, considering he only picked four Indian stars and seven Australians.

Notably, Shastri expressed his unwavering support for Rohit Sharma, selecting him as the captain over his Australian counterpart, Pat Cummins. Shastri justified this decision by highlighting Rohit's extensive experience as a captain and his consistent presence in the XI due to his role as the opener.

The decision of Rohit's opening partner posed a dilemma for Shastri, with contenders such as David Warner, Usman Khawaja, and Shubman Gill vying for the position. Ultimately, Shastri favoured Khawaja due to his impressive recent form and prolific run-scoring during the 2021-23 World Test Championship cycle.

Shastri found the selections for numbers three, four, and five relatively straightforward, opting for Marnus Labuschagne, Virat Kohli, and Steve Smith respectively. Their stellar performances over the years and their undeniable quality made them automatic choices for these crucial batting positions.

While Shastri holds great admiration for the young Australian all-rounder Cameron Green, he chose Ravindra Jadeja to occupy the number six spot in the team. Jadeja's exceptional all-round abilities and his additional contribution as a second spinner influenced Shastri's decision.

Behind the stumps, Shastri favored Alex Carey from Australia as the wicket-keeper and designated him to bat at number seven. Although it was challenging for Shastri to leave out the experienced Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, he ultimately chose Nathan Lyon as the frontline spinner in his XI, primarily due to Lyon's impressive performance record in overseas conditions.

Shastri found it relatively easier to finalize the pace attack, with Pat Cummins and Mohammed Shami as the preferred choices. He also selected Mitchell Starc, valuing his left-arm pace and the variety he brings to the team's bowling attack.

Shastri concluded by acknowledging the difficulty of finalizing the XI, considering the caliber of players left out, such as Ashwin, Josh Hazlewood, and Cheteshwar Pujara. However, he believed his chosen combination achieved a better balance with two spinners and three fast bowlers.

Ravi Shastri's combined India-Australia Test XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Ravindra Jadeja, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Mohammed Shami

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