WTC Final: Ravi Shastri picks between Ishan Kishan and KS Bharat, says 'if India play two spinners then...'

Team Indiacaptain Rohit Sharma will have to make a tough call about who to pick for that one keeper-batter slot between Ishan Kishan and KS Bharat for the WTC Final against Australia at the Oval in London. While the management has nearly five days to decide on that, former India coach Ravi Shastri shared his opinion on the same recently.

Speaking with Star Sports, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo, Shastri said all would depend on the conditions. Elaborating further on this, Shastri said if India decides to go ahead with both bowling all-rounders in Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, then KS Bharat might get the nod. However, looking at the conditions, if they name four pacers in the XI instead, we might see Ishan Kishan getting his debut cap.

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"I have a feeling that India might just go with, depending on who's playing - if two spinners are playing, maybe KS Bharat, but if there are four seamers and one spinner playing, then it'll go the other way, it might go Ishan Kishan's way," Shastri opined.

Meanwhile, the last time, around two years ago, Shastri was the head coach of the team when India played the inaugural final against New Zealand in Southampton. That time also India had to decide whom to play – either Jadeja or Ashwin, both, or an extra batter in Hanuma Vihari - and the team picked both all-rounders. In that rain-marred contest, India lost the match by eight wickets.

Taking a note from that experience, Shastri said India must read the conditions well and depending on that, should name the final XI.

"When you look at the WTC, if I remember from the last time India were in the final, what you learn from that game is very important," Shastri said. "You've got to pick a team that suits the conditions. Last time in Southampton, the weather was really overcast,” he added.

Shastri names his final 12

Shastri, regardless of picking either Bharat or Kishan, named 12 names among which the final 11 will get picked for the one-off Test against Australia.

"And my 12 will be very clear. It will be Rohit [Sharma], Shubman [Gill], [Cheteshwar] Pujara at three, Virat Kohli at four, Ajinkya Rahane five […] Six will be Jadeja, seven will be Mohammed Shami, eight will be [Mohammed] Siraj, nine will be Shardul Thakur, the eleventh will be Ashwin and the twelfth will be Umesh Yadav. So, this will be my twelve,” he added.

"And then, depending on the conditions, if four seamers are playing, then it'll be Umesh and Shardul who'll play with Siraj and Shami. But if two spinners are playing, which should be the case at the Oval, seeing what the weather is existing in England at the moment, where it's nice and sunny at times, then it will be Ashwin, Jadeja, Shardul, Shami and Siraj,” Shastri concluded.

The match will take place from 7-11 June, with the 12th kept as a reserve day.

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