India announce 15-man squad for WTC Final; Shardul Thakur, KL Rahul among notable absentees

India on Tuesday announced their final 15-man squad for the World Test Championship final set to take place on Friday (18 June). Given the small nature of the squad, there were sure to be a few noteworthy absentees. That is exactly what turned out to be the case. The likes of Shardul Thakur, KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal and Washington Sundar all missed out on the final squad. In their place came in Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and even Hanuma Vihari.

That being said, it is fair to say that India went with a squad that has mostly proven performers. The likes of Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane and R Ashwin are all key components of the side.

?️ #TeamIndia announce their 15-member squad for the #WTC21 Final ? ? pic.twitter.com/ts9fK3j89t

— BCCI (@BCCI) June 15, 2021

The Australia series, which saw India win their second straight Test series Down Under, did seem to raise few dilemmas. But India have picked stability over youth.

A look at major misses

Perhaps the biggest miss would be Shardul Thakur. The Mumbai pacer stepped up well during the Australia series. He was efficient with the ball and even contributed with the bat.

Going for him ahead of someone like Umesh seemed a possibility at least. But the Indian team management chose to go with Umesh, who is the more experienced option of the two.

A case can be made that Mayank Agarwal is also unlucky to miss out. The Karnataka batsman first made an impact in Test cricket during the 2018/19 tour of Australia.

But his form in Australia was poor this time around. Still, the opening batting department looks thin at present. Shubman Gill, though he has plenty of potential, is still young and learning.

Rohit Sharma, by contrast, will face some difficulty against a moving ball in England. Let’s not forget also that New Zealand’s bowling line-up has the likes of Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson.

KL Rahul missing out is surprising given his stature, but not given his form. The emergence of Shubman Gill and the revival of Rohit’s Test career meant the Indian cricket team had options aplenty up top.

As such, Rahul was relegated to the position of fourth-choice opener. Granted, he’s not helped himself with some less than stellar showings in the game’s longest format either.

Bowling set for India

India’s bowling line-up looks well set – something that, a few years prior, was always a headache in overseas conditions. Ishant Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah are sure-shot starters barring unforeseen circumstances.

Given there’s no Hardik Pandya, they will most likely go with four seamers and the lone spinner. The choice is between Umesh, Shami and Mohammed Siraj – who showed exempelary form Down Under when leading an inexperienced attack.

The spin-bowling option remains less clear. Ashwin has proven himself to be India’s premier spinner but his overseas record does leave a little to be desired – although he is favourite to start.

Nevertheless, there’s little argument to be made against keeping Jadeja in the line-up either. It all depends on what call is taken on the final day.

How will batsmen fare?

The real issue, one would argue, is how well the batsmen do. India’s record of opening Tests in SENA countries doesn’t inspire much confidence, but this is a one-off Test. A slow start is not an option.

All eyes will be on the openers. Gill and Rohit will no doubt be under pressure to begin with. But if they see out the early movement and set a foundation, the middle order will have an easier run of things.

Pujara’s form here will again be key. His ability is well known but his recent form has been below his best. Indian fans will doubtless hope he rediscovers his touch very soon.

In Virat Kohli and Rahane, India have two fine middle-order operators. The lower order will be a bit of concern as, after Ashwin or Jadeja, none of the bowlers are seen as grafters with the bat.

But the main focus of Indian fans – and indeed, the New Zealand players as well – will be on the top of the order.

India: Virat Kohli (captain), Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Umesh Yadav, Hanuma Vihari.