WTC Final: If needed final decision on playing XI to be taken before toss, says R. Sridhar

R. Sridhar, Team India's fielding coach has affirmed that the playing XI announced for the World Test Championship Final isn't 100% certain to play.

Addressing the media on Friday, R. Sridhar said the team management is certain that the playing XI reported for the WTC Final will perform well under any conditions. In any case, if necessary, Team India may consider changing the playing XI at the hour of the toss.

“I think the XI which has been announced is an XI that takes the pitch and conditions out of the equation. I think it is an XI that can play and perform on any given surface, in any given weather conditions. Having said that, the toss is not yet over, so if it needs to be taken, a decision will be taken at the time of the toss” - he said

Albeit not a solitary ball was bowled on the first day of the season of the World Test Championship Final, R Sridhar asserted that the Indian players would not be feeling under pressure when they take the field tomorrow.R. Sridhar additionally spoke about the significance of being in a positive mindset given the conceivable stop-start nature of the final.

“To keep them in a good mental space, that is something that is very important because they are going to be on and off the field with the weather so they will have to know how to keep their concentration going, switching on, switching off.

“That is something all the players are aware of, they are a very experienced bunch of players. They have played a few finals, won a few tournaments, and played a few Test matches, each one in that XI. So they all know how to do it and are in a good frame of mind, a good space.”

“There is no mental challenge really. Tomorrow is going to be the first day of the Test, and we will go in like we approach any new game. That wouldn’t be a big challenge for the boys” - he added.

R. Sridhar has supported adolescent Shubman Gill to flourish in the final notwithstanding falling off a dull home Test series against England and IPL with the Kolkata Knight Riders.

The 21-year-old enrolled a pitiful 119 runs in seven innings with a solitary fifty and two ducks against England. R. Sridhar dissipated worries over Shubman Gill's structure, he said:

“Shubman Gill is a million-dollar cricketer, isn’t he? I am not in a position to give the technical changes in his batting. But I have given throwdowns to him all these days, and he looks in good nick with an excellent mindset. He is clear about his role. That puts him in good stead for this match, irrespective of the weather. He is an excellent prospect for India, and I can’t wait to watch him perform.”

While R. Sridhar is cheerful that the game will start tomorrow, Southampton's climate gauge indicates that fans may need to stand by longer for the principal wad of the WTC Final.