India and Australia will lock horns in the final of the 2021-23 World Test Championship (WTC) at the Oval Stadium in London. The summit clash will begin on June 7.
The BCCI has announced a 15-member squad for the much awaited clash against the world’s top-ranked Test team. The squad includes some surprises, such as the inclusion of former Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, all-rounder Shardul Thakur and out-of-form KL Rahul. However, the selectors excluded Suryakumar Yadav after giving him a chance in just one Test.
The exclusion of Suryakumar from the squad did not go down well with many former greats like Harbhajan Singh and Aakash Chopra. Now, they have another reason to criticise the BCCI after reports emerged that the 32-year-old has not been named among the standby players for the marquee clash.
As per a report in The Times of India, Sarfaraz Khan (middle-order batter), Ruturaj Gaikwad (top-order batter), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Mukesh Kumar (right-arm medium pacer) and Navdeep Saini (right-arm seamer) are the five standby players picked for the WTC final against Australia.
However, the most talked-about issue is Suryakumar’s snub. The number 1 batter in T20 internationals was backed by many former greats, including Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar, to excel in the longest format of the game. But his dip in form has given selectors a chance to go ahead with domestic stars especially Gaikwad and Sarfaraz.
According to more details, the Indian team could play a multi-day warm-up match leading into the WTC final. This practice match would provide the team with valuable match practice and an opportunity to acclimatise to the English conditions before the all-important final.
