News Desk
Dubai. India’s former head coach Ravi Shastri believes that KS will play the role of wicketkeeper in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia in England next month. Bharat will be the ‘obvious choice’ of the team management.
India’s first-choice wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant is recovering from a car accident and his replacement Lokesh Rahul also underwent surgery on his right thigh. The Indian team management is in a quandary about the WTC starting on June 7 at the Oval. Who should be picked between Bharat and Ishan Kishan for the final? Shastri said that Bharat had wicket-keeping experience during the Border-Gavaskar series earlier this year, so he is hopeful that the management will prefer the 29-year-old Ishan.
“You have to see who is the better wicketkeeper,” Shastri said in the ‘ICC Review’. Is it India or Ishan Kishan? Now the fact that Bharath was given an opportunity against Australia where he played all the Test matches, I think he will be an obvious choice to be picked in the XI. He could only score 101 runs on spin-friendly pitches.
Kishan, on the other hand, did not get a chance against Australia and was included in the Indian squad for the WTC after Rahul was injured during the IPL. Shastri hinted that the venue conditions for the WTC final will determine who will ultimately be the wicketkeeper. To be taken out in the field. Opportunity is given.
“Look, this is another tough (decision),” Shastri said. Now if two spinners are playing then you want India to play.
Although Bharat has played only four Tests, his domestic experience of 90 first-class matches in the longest format gives him the upper hand. Ishan, on the other hand, is yet to make his Test debut and has played 48 first-class matches. Ishan has scored more with the bat than India. He scored a double century in an ODI against Bangladesh in Chittagong late last year. Dinesh Karthik, an experienced wicketkeeper for India and Royal Challengers Bangalore, believes that Bharat’s experience should make him an automatic choice for the WTC final.
“I think India will be an easy pick with Ishan Kishan and going straight to the final of the World Test Championship will be more than expected,” Karthik said. He added, “And the fact is that KS Bharat is probably better. A wicketkeeper, he makes his side heavy. So I think he will go with KS Bharat for the final.
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