ICC World Test Championship Final: 7 Bowlers To Watch Out For

We are less than a week away from the much-awaited ICC World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton and the encounter promises to be a face-off between two of the best bowling attacks in the world.

While New Zealand boast of the likes of Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson, Neil Wagner, Ajaz Patel, Matt Henry, Team India also has a lot of ammunition in the tank in both the pace and spin department in the form of Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja.

With both teams having so many options at their disposal, it will be interesting to see the bowling combinations that the captains go with.

On that note, here’s a look at some of the bowlers to watch out for in the ICC World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand:

Ishant Sharma

Ishant Sharma has been at the peak of his powers in Test cricket in the last three years.

In the two-year ICC World Test Championship final, the veteran Indian seamer claimed 36 wickets in 20 innings at an average of 17.36 and a strike rate of 36.3 with three five-wicket-hauls.

Ishant did brilliantly on the only occasion that he has bowled in Southampton. The 32-year-old claimed a total of 4 wickets across two innings at an average of 15.50 during the 2018 Test.

It's Day 2 of the intra-squad match simulation.

After @RealShubmanGill got a steady start with 85 off 135 deliveries, @RishabhPant17 found his groove with a 121* off 94 deliveries.@ImIshant leads the pack with 3/36 #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/YRNsVjweDt

— BCCI (@BCCI) June 12, 2021

There have been reports that Ishant Sharma may be asked to rest by the team management for the WTC final. However, his 3/36 in the ongoing intra-squad match should seal the deal for the champion seamer.

Also Read: ICC World Test Championship Final: 5 New Zealand Players Who Will Be Benched

Tim Southee

Amid the likes of Trent Boult, Neil Wagner, and Kyle Jamieson, we often tend to forget what a brilliant Test bowler Tim Southee is, especially in seaming conditions.

Southee was the leading wicket-taker- 14 in 2 matches at 13.14- during the 2020 Test series against India and his record against skipper Virat Kohli is outstanding, having dismissed the latter a record 10 times in international cricket.

One of Southee’s greatest strengths is the manner in which he allures the batters to chase the away-going deliveries. His outswinger is lethal and he becomes absolutely unplayable if the conditions are in his favor.

Southee is in red-hot form. The veteran Kiwi pacer claimed 7 wickets in the first Test against England at Lord’s before being rested for the second.

Also Read: ICC World Test Championship: Team Wise Most Double Centuries In The Tournament

Kyle Jamieson

Kyle Jamieson had a blockbuster start to his Test career against India during the 2020 home season where he just ran past India’s batting unit with his disconcerting bounce and movement.

In 2 Tests, the right-arm pacer claimed a total of 9 wickets at an average of 16.33. He fared decently in the Lord’s Test against England where he claimed three wickets, and he will certainly be a force to reckon with, given the kick-off the surface he generates and his ability to move the ball.

Also Read: ICC World Test Championship: 5 Highest Partnerships Of The Tournament

Jasprit Bumrah

Bumrah claimed 4 wickets across two innings during the 2018 Southampton Test against England and he will be looking to further add to his tally in the all-important encounter.

The champion pacer did not have a memorable experience the last time he played against the Kiwis in a Test series.

In the 2 Tests of that 2020 series against New Zealand,?? Bumrah claimed 6 wickets across 4 innings at an underwhelming average of 31.

That said, Bumrah was coming back from a long layoff due to injury at the time and the fact that, unlike that series, the WTC final will be played with the Dukes ball

And, Bumrah certainly relished playing with the Dukes. The last time he had a Dukes ball in his hand, he blew away the West Indies with a series of pacy, unplayable inswingers, and outswingers.

Will we see the Bumrah of 2019 in the upcoming WTC final? We’ll wait and see.

Also Read: ICC World Test Championship Final: 5 Indian Players Who Will Be Benched

Trent Boult

Boult was the second-highest wicket-taker during the last Test series against India. In 2 games, the left-arm seamer moved the ball like a raging cobra and befuddled the Indian batters with disdain.

In two matches, he claimed 11 wickets at an average of 19.36 and he will once again be a real threat against the Indian top-order, especially during the initial part of his spell.

Also Read: ICC World Test Championship: Team Of The Tournament

Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj made his Test debut against Australia in Melbourne during the last winter but within a space of just 6 months, he has already leapfrogged Umesh Yadav in the pegging order, and may well do the same to Mohammed Shami and play ahead of him in the World Test Championship final.

If the reports in the media are to be believed, the team management is keen on playing Siraj in the final and it remains to be seen who makes way for the young seamer.

On the basis of pure numbers, it looks like Mohammed Shami could be the one who may be benched for the Hyderabad pacer. Shami’s record in England during the last two tours has been underwhelming and while he bowled decently last time around, he was guilty of being either too short or too full.

Siraj is a workhorse, someone who can bowl long spells and at one spot on a consistent basis. He may have not played a Test match in England but he has the experience of playing FC games for India A.

The right-hander notched up figures of 4/79 and 3/55 against the Lions during an unofficial Test in 2018 and his wickets included the likes of Alastair Cook, Rory Burns, Dawid Malan.

Also Read: ICC World Test Championship Final: 5 India And New Zealand Players Who Were Part Of The ICC Under 19 World Cup In 2008

Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin has been at the height of his powers in Test cricket in the last 7-8 months.

The champion Indian off-spinner played a pivotal role in his team winning the Test series in Australia and he ended the World Test Championship cycle as the leading wicket-taker– 67 wickets in 24 innings at 20.88.

However, we still don’t know whether Team India will play both him and Ravindra Jadeja or will they drop one spinner for an extra seamer.

That will, of course, depend on the conditions leading into the Test match but given the fact that New Zealand has a lot of left-handers in their top-6 and the fact that Ashwin is probably one of the greatest-ever bowlers against the left-handers, the team management might be tempted to play him.

That said, Ashwin didn’t particularly enjoy bowling in Southampton in the maiden and only outing at the venue. He claimed just three wickets across two innings and was comfortably out-bowled by his counterpart, Moeen Ali.

Can the champion spinner script his redemption at the grandest stage of them all?

Honorable Mentions- Neil Wagner, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja and Matt Henry

Also Read: ICC World Test Championship: 10 Best Innings Of The Tournament