Team India looks determined to end their long wait for an ICC trophy as they are set to face Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final in London. The last time India won an ICC trophy was back in 2013 when they emerged triumphant in the Champions Trophy.
As the highly anticipated event draws closer, numerous cricket experts have begun sharing their predictions and team combination analysis for both sides. Following the trend, former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has predicted India’s playing XI for the final showdown.
Taking to his Twitter handle, Irfan picked Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill as the openers. Following them in the batting order, Pathan chose the dependable Cheteshwar Pujara, who has earned a reputation as a Test specialist over the years.
Moving to the middle-order, Irfan opted for two seasoned campaigners, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane. Both batters have played crucial roles in India’s success in Test cricket and bring valuable leadership skills to the team. Notably, Rahane, who was part of the IPL 2023 title-winning Chennai Super Kings (CSK), is making a comeback in the red-ball side. Regarding the wicketkeeper’s spot, Pathan preferred Ishan Kishan, selecting him over KS Bharat.
Regarding the bowling department, Pathan included the highly acclaimed all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja as the spin-bowling all-rounder in the team and kept the second spot flexible between Ravichandran Ashwin and Shardul Thakur with respect to the pitch conditions.
When it comes to the fast-bowling group, Pathan’s selection included the experienced Mohammad Shami, along with Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Siraj. This trio possesses the ability to generate pace, extract movement, and trouble the opposition batters.
Irfan Pathan’s predicted XI of Team India for WTC Final: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Ishan Kishan, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin/Shardul Thakur, Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj.
