ICC World Test Championship Final: 3 Shocking Decisions We Can Expect From Virat Kohli

ICC World Test Championship final is the next prominent encounter for the Indian team. India will lock horns with New Zealand in the ICC WTC final next month. The Test match will be played at The Rose Bowl Stadium in Southampton, England and start on June 18. India and New Zealand secured the 1^st and 2^nd spot respectively in the points table to fix their berth in the final. During the ICC World Test Championship tournament, the Indian team played 17 matches, winning 12, losing 4 while 1 ended in a draw. New Zealand played 11 matches, winning 7 and losing 4.

BCCI has announced the Indian squad for the ICC World Test Championship final. Youngsters who impressed during India’s previous Test series against Australia and England are part of the squad. These include Washington Sundar, Shubman Gill, Mohammed Siraj, Axar Patel, and Rishabh Pant. Players like Ravindra Jadeja, Hanuma Vihari, Mohammed Shami, KL Rahul, and Umesh Yadav, who were injured during the India vs Australia Test series, have also made a comeback to the squad after recovery.

With so many brilliant performers in the team, Indian captain Virat Kohli will have a tough job to chose the playing XI for the ICC World Test Championship final. The conditions in England will also play a role in the selection of the final playing XI of the Indian team. Here we look at 3 shocking decisions that we can expect from Virat Kohli in the ICC World Test Championship final.

ICC World Test Championship Final: 3 Shocking Decisions We Can Expect From Virat Kohli

1. Bench Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin has been the most successful bowler for India in the ICC World Test Championship tournament. Ashwin has scalped 67 wickets in 13 matches (24 innings) in the tournament. He is the 3rd highest wicket-taker overall and the highest wicket-taker for India. However, the conditions in England grounds are quite opposite to that of Indian stadiums.

Pitches and weather in England offer a good amount of swing and pace, which help the fast bowlers. Indian squad also has all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who is a spin bowler and can bowl well during the match. So Virat Kohli might go with more pacers and drop Ravichandran Ashwin from the playing XI. This might be a shocking decision we can expect from Virat Kohli.

2. Play Shardul Thakur Ahead Of Umesh Yadav

Right-arm pacer Umesh Yadav is also part of the Indian squad for the ICC World Test Championship final. Umesh Yadav last played a Test match during India vs Australia series last year. He played two matches in which he picked up 4 wickets. He was ruled out midway during the series due to injury. Later, Shardul Thakur was inducted in the playing 11 in the 4^th Test against Australia.

Thakur showed a spectacular performance by scalping 7 wickets in the match. Later, Shardul Thakur also showed a great performance in the ODI and T20I series against England.  Umesh Yadav has been out of the field for a long time. Hence, Virat Kohli might go with Shardul Thakur instead of Umesh Yadav in the ICC World Test Championship final against New Zealand. This could be another surprising decision by Virat Kohli.

3. Open With KL Rahul And Rohit Sharma

KL Rahul was ruled out of India vs Australia Test series last year due to a wrist injury. Prithvi Shaw replaced KL Rahul in the 1^st Test but with his low score of 0 and 4, the former was replaced by Shubman Gill. Debutant Shubman Gill scored 80 runs in the 1st Test, scoring 45 and 35* in both innings. In the 2nd Test, the right-handed batsman also hit a fifty. In the 3rd Test, he smashed a 91-run knock. He was also inducted in the Test series against England as he proved himself as a promising opener.

Meanwhile, KL Rahul made a comeback in the T20I and ODI series against England. He could not score well in the T20I series but smashed a century (108) and a half-century (62*) in the ODI series. Even in IPL 2021, KL Rahul showed a great batting form and was the 2^nd leading run-scorer in the tournament. Now with the return of KL Rahul, Virat Kohli will have to choose either KL Rahul and Shubman Gill as the opening partner for Rohit Sharma. KL Rahul has not played Tests for a long time and if Kohli chose him over Shubman Gill as the opener, it will be another shocking decision to witness.