The ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final is all set to be played between Australia and India at the Oval from June 7. Both sides are filled with some high-profile cricket stars, and fans can expect a cracker of a contest.
With the much-anticipated clash taking place in June, numerous experts have expressed the belief that fast bowlers will hold a greater advantage over spinners. Senior Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik shares a similar viewpoint, as he has selected a bowling combination for Team India that primarily consists of pace bowlers, emphasizing their dominance in the game.
Karthik suggested that India should opt for a lineup featuring the majority of pacers and excluded Ravichandran Ashwin from his preferred choices. The cricketer-turned-commentator reckoned that the ace spinner Ashwin should be dropped because the conditions are expected to favour fast bowlers.
“Leave out Ashwin and play four pacers. I enjoyed Ashwin bowling in Southampton, but – is the coach gonna do the same thing again? I doubt it,” said Karthik while speaking to Cricbuzz.
Notably, Ashwin has taken a total of 114 wickets in 22 Test matches against Australia. In terms of his performance in England, the Chennai-born spin sensation has picked up 18 wickets in seven Tests. Revealing his list of pacers, Karthik felt that Umesh Yadav would feature in the playing XI alongside Mohammed Siraj and Mohammad Shami.
“Umesh Yadav has bowled well in the nets. He is looking sharp, and feeling good body-wise. I have a strong feeling they’ll go with Umesh,” observed Karthik.
Speaking about the batting, Karthik opined that superstar Virat Kohli will continue to shine with the bat in the summit clash following an incredible IPL season.
“He [Virat Kohli] batted well right from the start. In the first game, he got a 70 against Mumbai Indians. He was looking top-notch, and right at the back end of the IPL. He showed his class. The two hundreds that he got is phenomenal. He is batting brilliantly and I am very sure he’ll have a good score,” Karthik added.
