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WTC Final | India v New Zealand | Southampton | 18-22 June, 2021 | Pre-match thread

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India’s squad for WTC Final and Test series against England announced

The All-India Senior Selection Committee has picked the Indian squad for the inaugural ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final and the five-match Test series against England.

Team India’s first stop will be in Southampton where they play New Zealand to decide the first champion of the Test format. Following their 3-1 win against England at home, India finished as the No. 1 side with 72.2 percentage points and booked their place in the final.

India’s squad: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (Captain), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Shami, Md. Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul (subject to fitness clearance), Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper; subject to fitness clearance).

Standby players: Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Arzan Nagwaswalla
 
I am excited for this. Think New Zealand will take it given the conditions. Don’t think the argument that New Zealand haven’t been able to close out big games in tournaments applies here. First of all, because this is a different format. Secondly, because India have been just as bad if not worse at getting thrashed in tournament eliminators despite having a good team on paper. However, India have been brilliant in Test Cricket recently so they could take it too. Ultimately, I’m just hoping for a good game.
 
Key Indian players missing out from test squad:-

Bhuvaneswar Kumar
Hardik Pandya
Prithvi Shaw
Kuldeep Yadav
 
The Rose Bowl has some spin it so it should favour India. Even though NZ plays spin well.

A game at Manchester or Leeds would have been more neutral. Both have pretty good fast bowlers.
 
India will win and further extend their legacy as the GOAT Asian Test team, with Kohli further extending his legacy as the GOAT Asian Test captain.
 
Who cares if India win and become phony champions?
 
I am excited for this. Think New Zealand will take it given the conditions. Don’t think the argument that New Zealand haven’t been able to close out big games in tournaments applies here. First of all, because this is a different format. Secondly, because India have been just as bad if not worse at getting thrashed in tournament eliminators despite having a good team on paper. However, India have been brilliant in Test Cricket recently so they could take it too. Ultimately, I’m just hoping for a good game.
Only one match also affects the india chances as they are known for slow starters and recently too they are losing first test match in series.
 
Yes Southampton isn’t the most difficult wicket to bat on but I expect NZs pace bowlers to get something out of it and trouble the Indian batsmen
 
To be honest this is NOT a test Championship. For to be true one , you need each team plays the other .
 
Key Indian players missing out from test squad:-

Bhuvaneswar Kumar
Hardik Pandya
Prithvi Shaw
Kuldeep Yadav

Are u serious.
Are they key players?
Prithvi Shaw is walking wicket on swing conditions.
Kuldeep Yadav will end up 110/0 on green mat.
Hardhik Pandya will be useless if he cant bowl.
 
Last time Pakistan were able to drawn the two tests against England in Southampton.
 
Ind will choke again and stamp themselves as the Chokers of this era. I expect Ind to get bowled out early in the first innings and Kane playing a masterful innings to seal a comprehensive nz victory.
A debate of cloud advantage in England will follow.
 
Hardik, who was with team during the home series against England but did not play, has not been picked because he is not fit enough to do the job with the ball. He can play as a specialist batsman in the shorter formats but has to bowl for a place in the Test team.

"Hardik Pandya is still not in a position to bowl. The experiment of selectors to keep him during England and prepare him with bowling workload has failed miserably. He will henceforth not be considered for Test cricket," a BCCI source told PTI.


https://m.timesofindia.com/sports/c...errer=https://www.google.com&amp_tf=From %1$s

I think his test career is virtually over. Fans who thought he could walk into Indian test team as a batsman alone must be having hard time accepting this. I don't see him even attempting to bowl in test cricket for obvious reasons. :inti
 
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Absolutely disgusted that Bhuvi has not been considered for the test series when he's the best bowler in India for English conditions. No one has the control he has over his line and lengths and no one has the ball skills he has in terms of swinging the ball both ways. It's just pace where he lacks but that's not as important in England where you don't need to bowl 150 clicks to pick wickets.

I'm only assuming his fitness isn't good enough for Test cricket these days with his recurrent injuries, otherwise it's a shocking decision, particularly when you consider the fact that he's the only Indian fast bowler who knows how to hold the bat. Have no idea what Umesh Yadav is going to do in England, might as well have picked Avesh Khan or Prasidh instead.
 
Key Indian players missing out from test squad:-

Bhuvaneswar Kumar
Hardik Pandya
Prithvi Shaw
Kuldeep Yadav

Bhuvneshar hasn't played test cricket for years now, so I wouldn't say that the was a key player at all.

Hardik Pandya can't bowl long spells and he hasn't really played much test cricket either.

Prithvi Shaw is still undercooked as far as international cricket goes.

Kuldeep Yadav, the less said about current form, the better.

None of these omissions were of any surprise, India selected the best possible pool of players.
 
Rose Bowl isn't a very difficult pitch to bat on, at times it can be a complete flat deck.

If ICC is in charge of the pitch, they know that a draw is not an option if they want to keep the hype for the WTC.

That leaves them with two options: a grass top or a dry surface.

In England, given the weather conditions, it is significantly easier to go with a grass top as opposed to a dry surface, but the natural composition of the Rose Bowl pitch does have dryness.

Given the conditions and the fact that New Zealand batsmen can play the swinging ball quite nicely, I think that the odds are greater with New Zealand ahead of this encounter.

However, more will be revealed from the result of the England vs New Zealand test series.

If it's a dry pitch, India will have the advantage because Santner is not a world-class spinner in red-ball cricket.

On a grass top, New Zealand might just see themselves reach the other side of the tunnel for once.
 
BCCI official (in ANI) said "Indian team will come together on May 25 then will do a 8 day quarantine and travel to England on June 2nd and do 10 day quarantine with training as well. Families can travel with the team".
 
BCCI official (in ANI) said "Indian team will come together on May 25 then will do a 8 day quarantine and travel to England on June 2nd and do 10 day quarantine with training as well. Families can travel with the team".

They should send one week early.
 
BCCI's World Test Championship Plan Has 8-Day Bubble In India, 10-Day Quarantine In UK From June 2, Says ReportAccording to a report, Team India will enter an eight-day bubble in India on May 25 that will be followed by a 10-day quarantine upon landing in the UK on June 2 ahead of the World Test Championship final in Southampton.Asian News International

India will enter a bubble on May 25 ahead of UK departure, said a reportThe team will have a 10-day quarantine in the UK starting June 2Players will be allowed to travel with families, said the report
Team India's preparation for the upcoming World Test Championship final against New Zealand in the UK -- from June 18 -- will start on May 25 when they enter the bio-bubble created for them here in India.

The eight-day bubble will be followed by another 10-day quarantine in the UK before the the team takes on New Zealand in Southampton. Speaking to ANI, a BCCI official in the know of the roadmap drawn for the WTC final and the five-match Test series against England said that it will be a case of breaking the quarantine period into two parts so that players can start training once in the UK on June 2.

"You can expect the boys to come into the bubble on May 25 as it will be an eight-day quarantine period which will not just involve testing against COVID-19, but also there will not be any movement as the boys prepare for the UK schedule," the official said.

"Once in UK on June 2, the boys will go for another 10-day quarantine. But this time the cricketers can train as they are moving from the bubble in India to the bubble in England in a charter plane. A bubble to bubble move lets them train even though there will be continuous testing at all times and no further movement," the official explained.

Considering that the team ends the fifth Test against England on September 14 -- final day of the fifth Test -- in Manchester, it will have been more than three months for Team India in the UK, and the official said that will see the players being allowed to travel with their families.

"Not just the duration of the tour, the COVID-19 restrictions also mean you cannot move around the place. There will be more than a month's gap between the Test Championship final and the opening Test against England in Trent Bridge from August 4. The players will have their families travelling with them," the official said.

Another important area of focus is the vaccination process and the official said it will need some more time before a clear picture can be drawn.

"The Indian government has opened vaccination for every person above 18 so the players can take their first dose," the official said.

"But the second dose is the question here and while the BCCI is looking at working closely with the England and Wales Cricket Board to ensure players can get a second dose in the UK, if that is not approved by the UK government, we will have the vaccine taken from India for the second dose. Let's see how that works out in the coming days."

The BCCI on Friday named a 20-member squad (two subject to fitness clearance) which will also have four standby players.

Of the four standby players, three are fast bowlers -- Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Arzan Nagwaswalla.

Asked about their role as the main squad already has six fast bowlers in Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur and Umesh Yadav, the official said the standby players would double up as net bowlers.

"See, six fast bowlers in the main squad should be good enough unless you are unfortunate and have multiple injuries. So, these three will double up as net bowlers while keeping preparations on to be ready to be drafted into the main squad if needed," the official said.

NDTV
 
Are u serious.
Are they key players?
Prithvi Shaw is walking wicket on swing conditions.
Kuldeep Yadav will end up 110/0 on green mat.
Hardhik Pandya will be useless if he cant bowl.

I meant among the ones who could have made it to the squad.

I agree with your opinion on Shaw, Pandya and Kuldeep although Pandya did bowled 10 overs in ODI decider game vs England.
 
I meant among the ones who could have made it to the squad.

I agree with your opinion on Shaw, Pandya and Kuldeep although Pandya did bowled 10 overs in ODI decider game vs England.

Got you point, the I will go with Bhuvi.
 
Absolutely disgusted that Bhuvi has not been considered for the test series when he's the best bowler in India for English conditions. No one has the control he has over his line and lengths and no one has the ball skills he has in terms of swinging the ball both ways. It's just pace where he lacks but that's not as important in England where you don't need to bowl 150 clicks to pick wickets.

I'm only assuming his fitness isn't good enough for Test cricket these days with his recurrent injuries, otherwise it's a shocking decision, particularly when you consider the fact that he's the only Indian fast bowler who knows how to hold the bat. Have no idea what Umesh Yadav is going to do in England, might as well have picked Avesh Khan or Prasidh instead.

Its simple. Given his fitness, Indian TM probably think he will get injured after playing a couple of tests in England and then won't return before 2022 IPL. It was a trend with him over last 2-3 years.

Hence, they are saving him for World T20 where he can be a more valuable player and the likes of Ishant, Shami and Siraj can take care of Tests.

Bumrah is important for us in both tournaments and hence it was completely justified of him to take rest from international cricket during the early part of the year :inti
 
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Will they play an intra squad match before WTC to warm up? Surely in the month between WTC and first test they will need to play a match too, but where can they play this? I want to know if fans will be allowed to watch as I'd definitely go.
They should be free of quarantine requirements by then and post 21st June they would be able to play to full crowds. You wouldn't get that many but I bet you'd get a good crowd even for a warm up knock.
 
Newzealand is winning this.
NZ beats India 10 out of 10 times in swinging conditions or on seaming tracks. You needn't look further than the India tour of NZ not too long ago.
Also unlike Aus, England has never been happy hunting grounds for India.
Jamieson is going to have a field day on these tracks.
 
Who is Arzan Nagwaswalla: All you need to know about the 'standby player' in India squad for WTC Final

On Friday (May 7), the BCCI announced a 20-man jumbo squad for Virat Kohli-led India for their forthcoming ICC World Test Championship final, versus New Zealand, followed by the five-match Test series against the hosts in England.

While the regulars such as Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami held onto their respective spots, Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel and Mohammed Siraj also retained their positions. The biggest plus was seeing all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja's return along with middle-order batsman Hanuma Vihari.

Among the stand-by players, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan and Arzan Nagwaswalla were included. While many have heard about the first three players, Arzan's name struck a chord due to his unfamiliarity with fans.

Who is Gujarat pacer Arzan Nagwaswalla?

Arzan, born in Gujarat on October 17, 1997, is a 23-year-old young left-arm pacer. Being a left-hander, Arzan's performance will surely be keenly observed by the national selectors, given the dearth of such bowlers in India. Despite coming from the Parsi community -- regarded as one of the pioneers of cricket in India -- the 23-year-old is yet to fetch an IPL contract.

Nagwaswalla made his Ranji Trophy debut against Baroda in Vadodara during the 2017-18 season. Slowly and steadily, he caught the attention of the domestic cricket fraternity, taking a five-for against Mumbai, in what was his 3rd first-class fixture. His scalps included: Suryakumar Yadav, Arman Jaffer, Siddesh Lad and Aditya Tare. Courtesy his spell, Gujarat sealed a memorable 9-wicket win.

He ended his debut Ranji Trophy season with a total of 21 wickets in 8 matches, with best figures of 5/90.

Silent rise of Nagwaswalla

Nagwaswalla has, since then, has since to the occasion despite not grabbing the eyeballs of many ardent Indian cricket fans. In his second season, he returned with 41 scalps in just 8 matches at an impressive average of 18.36.

Nagwaswalla's best first-class figures came in January 2020, as the left-arm pacer attained a 10-wicket haul against Punjab and led Gujarat to a convincing 110-run victory.

Nagwaswalla remained at his usual best as domestic cricket returned to India post the Covid-19 pandemic. The break didn't deter his approach as he remained among wickets in the white-ball domestic tournaments. He scalped 19 wickets in just 7 matches, at an economy rate of 4.32 and best figures of 6/54 in Vijay Hazare Trophy. On the other hand, he accounted for 9 wickets in 5 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy games for his state.

It will be interesting to see how Nagwaswalla responds to the challenge of bowling to some of India's mainstays, at the nets, during the forthcoming tour of the United Kingdom. Being the only left-armer in the squad, including the stand-by list, Nagwaswalla will be eager to make a mark instantly.
 
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I'm glad Bhuvi has not been selected for this tour. Doubt he can bowl long spells in test cricket with his fitness/injury record. Hes accurate but even in England , you need someone who can seam the ball of the deck and he just wont cut it with his current speeds and low release height.
 
Star Sports 1 and Hotstar will be telecasting the World Test Championship final between India vs New Zealand.
 
Absolutely disgusted that Bhuvi has not been considered for the test series when he's the best bowler in India for English conditions. No one has the control he has over his line and lengths and no one has the ball skills he has in terms of swinging the ball both ways. It's just pace where he lacks but that's not as important in England where you don't need to bowl 150 clicks to pick wickets.

I'm only assuming his fitness isn't good enough for Test cricket these days with his recurrent injuries, otherwise it's a shocking decision, particularly when you consider the fact that he's the only Indian fast bowler who knows how to hold the bat. Have no idea what Umesh Yadav is going to do in England, might as well have picked Avesh Khan or Prasidh instead.

He's not fit enough.. Only played last game for srh due to their below avg performance.. I believe he mostly bowled 120ks there..
 
Really looking forward to Siraj this series. Hope he plays in the XI. Really impressed me in Australia
 
Prasidh Krishna is the latest from the Indian Premier League (IPL) to test positive for COVID-19. The news comes less than 24 hours after he was selected for India's tour of England as a standby player.
 
This might be a stupid question, but what happens if this WTC final is a draw? Is the trophy awarded to the team that came first in the table? Do they share the trophy and become joint champions?

Maybe they should have a Super Session or Super Day (instead of a super over) :)
 
New Zealand full squad for WTC final
Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Tom Blundell, Ross Taylor, BJ Watling, Tom Latham, Daryll Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Colin de Grandhomme, Neil Wagner, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Mitchell Santner, Ajaz Patel, Doug Bracewell, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Will Young.
 
My starting XI for the final:

Gill
Rohit
Pujara
Kohli (c)
Rahane
Pant (wk)
Jadeja
Ashwin
Siraj
Ishant
Bumrah
 
New Zealand xi

Ravindra
Latham
Williamson
Taylor
Nicholas
Watling
Grandhomme
Jamieson
Santner
Southee
Boult
 
I would be surprised if India do not win it. New Zealand are well known to be the nearly men. They have a long list of losing most crucial matches in all formats.
 
My starting XI for the final:

Gill
Rohit
Pujara
Kohli (c)
Rahane
Pant (wk)
Jadeja
Ashwin
Siraj
Ishant
Bumrah

Good list...
I would go Shami over siraj. I feel his experience is better. I guess he is fit and played some IPL games.
Rosebowl is one venue in UK where it will reverse more...and I guess he will be a better exponent.
I am more worried about our openers.
Gill is tailor made for bouncy true Aus, Saf wickets. Yet to be tested in swinging conditions.
Or against quality swing.
Hitman is Chinese battery - chala to chand tak, nahi toh sham tak....I frankly don't back him against swing of boult and co. I hope he proves me wrong big time.
I hope our guys get to England early and get accumatised better.
GO Indiaaaaaa!
 
Gill
Rohit
Pujara
Kohli (c)
Rahane
Pant (wk)
Jadeja
Shami
Siraj
Ishant
Bumrah


I'd go with this team. Ashwin makes the way for Shami for the reverse swing. If we decide to play both the spinners(also to add batting depth) then Siraj is out.

I'm still not convinced with Rohit as opener especially in England conditions. But there are no alternatives right now. One gamble could be to make Washington open the innings. But i don't think TM will take any risk for the finals.
 
Good list...
I would go Shami over siraj. I feel his experience is better. I guess he is fit and played some IPL games.
Rosebowl is one venue in UK where it will reverse more...and I guess he will be a better exponent.
I am more worried about our openers.
Gill is tailor made for bouncy true Aus, Saf wickets. Yet to be tested in swinging conditions.
Or against quality swing.
Hitman is Chinese battery - chala to chand tak, nahi toh sham tak....I frankly don't back him against swing of boult and co. I hope he proves me wrong big time.
I hope our guys get to England early and get accumatised better.
GO Indiaaaaaa!

Shami's natural length is back of good length, which is too short to get wickets in England which is why he doesn't have a good record there. Siraj has been bowling beautifully in the last few months, arguably the most 'in form" bowler in India right now, and he also knows to swing the ball unlike Shami who is an out and out seam bowler.

In the absence of Bhuvi, Ishant is the one genuine good swing bowler and a Siraj in red hot form and Bumrah complete the fast bowling line up for me. The presence of Bhuvi would've complicated matters, but from my point of view, Ishant, Siraj and Bumrah are the three best bowling options. Although I would not be surprised if Kohli opts for Shami instead of Siraj though.

As for the openers, Gill's technique will mean he will be a natural for Australian conditions but will struggle in England. And Rohit is Rohit. But who are the other options though. Mayank has major issues in facing the incoming delivery with his high back lift. It's been ages since KL last played a first class match I think and he's coming off an appendectomy surgery, I doubt he's going to do any better. I think he will be in the team anyway once one of the openers inevitably fail. Easwaran has been a regular opener for India A for sometime now, but is an untested commodity. So might as well go with Gill and Rohit and hope for best.
 
Shami's natural length is back of good length, which is too short to get wickets in England which is why he doesn't have a good record there. Siraj has been bowling beautifully in the last few months, arguably the most 'in form" bowler in India right now, and he also knows to swing the ball unlike Shami who is an out and out seam bowler.

In the absence of Bhuvi, Ishant is the one genuine good swing bowler and a Siraj in red hot form and Bumrah complete the fast bowling line up for me. The presence of Bhuvi would've complicated matters, but from my point of view, Ishant, Siraj and Bumrah are the three best bowling options. Although I would not be surprised if Kohli opts for Shami instead of Siraj though.

As for the openers, Gill's technique will mean he will be a natural for Australian conditions but will struggle in England. And Rohit is Rohit. But who are the other options though. Mayank has major issues in facing the incoming delivery with his high back lift. It's been ages since KL last played a first class match I think and he's coming off an appendectomy surgery, I doubt he's going to do any better. I think he will be in the team anyway once one of the openers inevitably fail. Easwaran has been a regular opener for India A for sometime now, but is an untested commodity. So might as well go with Gill and Rohit and hope for best.

Look, good analysis bro. I take on board about the natural style of shami being back of good length. But still, don't think Southhampton is an out and out swing place.
For an imp match like WTC final feel Shami with his experience would stand us in good stead, nothwithstanding Siraj being in fantastic form.

guess the few India vs India A matches might give some clue.
About openers, yes - its too late to tinker with them given the importance of WTC finals. I only wish the WTC finals would have been about 2-3 tests after we've played eng, that way we would have got time to evaluate, this is an advantage NZ will get, having played two tests before the finals.
KLR should be the third reserve opener, Mayank was looking all at sea -dunno what he's done to his backlift and elbow swing....
Abhimanyu is too green to be tried on such a big stage.
I donot think Bhuvi warranted a place. He's ok for the white ball cric but for tests I feel he's over rated + we have enough options.
I like the look of Arzan Nags - a LH quick swing bowler, good move by our think tank to send him over....much like Nutty in Aus, to give our guys swing practice against boult, curran, wagner etc...I feel this guy will be in team soon.
The one out of the box thought could be having Washi open,...but that's still speculative and a long term one, the same with Devdutt Padikall...
Its good they are sending a big squad, plenty of options.
 
Look, good analysis bro. I take on board about the natural style of shami being back of good length. But still, don't think Southhampton is an out and out swing place.
For an imp match like WTC final feel Shami with his experience would stand us in good stead, nothwithstanding Siraj being in fantastic form.

guess the few India vs India A matches might give some clue.
About openers, yes - its too late to tinker with them given the importance of WTC finals. I only wish the WTC finals would have been about 2-3 tests after we've played eng, that way we would have got time to evaluate, this is an advantage NZ will get, having played two tests before the finals.
KLR should be the third reserve opener, Mayank was looking all at sea -dunno what he's done to his backlift and elbow swing....
Abhimanyu is too green to be tried on such a big stage.
I donot think Bhuvi warranted a place. He's ok for the white ball cric but for tests I feel he's over rated + we have enough options.
I like the look of Arzan Nags - a LH quick swing bowler, good move by our think tank to send him over....much like Nutty in Aus, to give our guys swing practice against boult, curran, wagner etc...I feel this guy will be in team soon.
The one out of the box thought could be having Washi open,...but that's still speculative and a long term one, the same with Devdutt Padikall...
Its good they are sending a big squad, plenty of options.

I agree Shami will be better suited for the slightly drier surface that's typically seen at Southampton. But still bowling in England has a lot less to do with the surface below and more to do with the overhead conditions above. If there's swing on offer, I feel Siraj would be more suited than Shami and Siraj will be effective even on a drier wicket. As much as I love Shami, I just think Siraj has more weapons in his arsenal.

And believe me, Bhuvi is a much better test bowler than LOI bowler. He is probably a bit overrated in LOIs but gets criminally underrated in test cricket. He is of course slower than the likes of Shami, Bumrah, etc., and therefore shouldn't be picked in the subcontinent, Australia and generally when you expect flat conditions where you need bowlers to bend their backs. But in terms of skills, he is the most skilled bowler in Indian cricket and in helpful conditions, i.e., on green wickets or if there's overhead conditions assisting swing bowling, he should be the first name on your team sheet because he can swing the ball both ways and control it with accuracy.

The last two times he played test series in England (2014) and South Africa (2017), he was the best bowler in the squad. If there's one place where his bowling is most suited, it's England. I feel he has lost fitness to play test cricket with his recurring injuries and so the selectors feel he's an important cog in the T20 line up, thereby saving him from acquiring an injury and ruling himself out of the WT20 squad.

Washington opening is a left field option and I like that, but I doubt Kohli will go for that. Devdutt Padikkal plays too expansive shots to succeed in England, he first needs to average more than 35 in Ranji trophy before being considered for test selection. IPL form is one thing but opening in test cricket is a different kettle of fish.
 
Gill
Rohit
Pujara
Kohli (c)
Rahane
Pant (wk)
Jadeja
Shami
Siraj
Ishant
Bumrah


I'd go with this team. Ashwin makes the way for Shami for the reverse swing. If we decide to play both the spinners(also to add batting depth) then Siraj is out.

I'm still not convinced with Rohit as opener especially in England conditions. But there are no alternatives right now. One gamble could be to make Washington open the innings. But i don't think TM will take any risk for the finals.

Hmmm...it becomes a long tail. U cant realistically expect more than 15 from last 4 guys in that lineup.
& looking at Virat's luck with the toss, u will be batting 4 times out of 5 in the last innings-hope I am proven wrong in this-this line will prove troublesome when chasing.
Ashwin has improved in his fitness, his intensity, his concentration. He is getting behind the ball and is batting probably the best in his life. He was playing well in Adelaide in the first innings (2nd innings off course we know what happened) he was ok in Melbourne, terrific in Sydney. he had a good series against eng at home.
If it seams it generally turns on the last day...cue Hamilton 2009 when Harbie took all those wickets on the 4th day against NZ and we won.
I'd back Ashwin to contribute more than any one of siraj or shami. He's a defo starter for me.
Rest of the 10 guys are all ok
 
Gill
Rohit
Pujara
Kohli (c)
Rahane
Pant (wk)
Jadeja
Shami
Siraj
Ishant
Bumrah


I'd go with this team. Ashwin makes the way for Shami for the reverse swing. If we decide to play both the spinners(also to add batting depth) then Siraj is out.

I'm still not convinced with Rohit as opener especially in England conditions. But there are no alternatives right now. One gamble could be to make Washington open the innings. But i don't think TM will take any risk for the finals.

I'll Add Ashwin after Jadeja and one of Shami or Siraj will have to sit out. Obviously it depends on pitch whether to play both Jadeja and Ashwin.
Ashwin is mentally very strong and adapts to situation very well. He can contribute with bat as well.

Tough call to pick between Shami and Siraz but probably Shami will be out. Siraz was too good in Australia. It's always good to keep a young bowler in attack with experienced ones.

Openers will have difficult time compared to Australia but we don't have choice other than Gill and Rohit.
I've strong feeling that Bumrah won't be effective much but can't keep a player like him out. I hope he proves me wrong.
 
Both Ashwin and Jadeja should play. Both have become excellent all-rounders. Not having any one of them will be a big loss.
 
Ind will choke again and stamp themselves as the Chokers of this era. I expect Ind to get bowled out early in the first innings and Kane playing a masterful innings to seal a comprehensive nz victory.
A debate of cloud advantage in England will follow.


I sure hope so, aap keh munh mein ghee shakar...I hope India loses by an innings to lay to rest this theory of best batting team to rest!

Kohli and few to retire in utter disgust and shame after that :-P
 
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made a foolproof plan for the national team before they depart for the UK to play the World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand and the five-match Test series against England. Speaking to ANI, sources in the know of the roadmap drawn said arrangements have been made for all the players to undergo three RT-PCR tests before assembling in Mumbai on May 19. "The players will be undergoing three RT-PCR tests at their homes, and once they return negative tests, they will be assembling in Mumbai on May 19. Everyone in the contingent will be undergoing 14-day quarantine in India before they leave for the UK on June 2," said the source.

Almost all the members of the Indian contingent set to depart for the UK have taken the first dose of their Covid-19 vaccine and they are likely to take the second jab in the UK itself.

Earlier, speaking about the vaccination of the players, a BCCI official had said: "The Indian government has opened vaccination for every person above 18, so the players can take their first dose.

"But the second dose is the question here and while the BCCI is looking at working closely with England and Wales Cricket Board to ensure players can get a second dose in the UK, if that is not approved by the UK government, we will have the vaccine taken from India for the second dose. Let's see how that works out in the coming days."

The BCCI named a 20-member squad (two subject to fitness clearance) which will also have four standby players. Of the four standby players, three are fast bowlers -- Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Arzan Nagwaswalla.

Prasidh tested COVID-19 positive the day after the squad was announced but he is expected to be fit in time for the departure.

India's Squad: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (captain), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul (subject to fitness clearance), Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper; subject to fitness clearance).

NDTV
 
New Zealand won’t treat England Tests as warm-ups for WTC final: Neil Wagner

India and New Zealand will lock horns for the inaugural WTC title, at Southampton's Ageas Bowl, from June 18-22, four days after the Test series against hosts England is scheduled to conclude.


New Zealand fast bowler Neil Wagner on Monday said his team is not going to treat the upcoming two-match series against England as warm-ups for the World Test Championship (WTC) final versus India.

India and New Zealand will lock horns for the inaugural WTC title, at Southampton’s Ageas Bowl, from June 18-22, four days after the Test series against hosts England is scheduled to conclude.

“We’re not going to treat these two Test matches against England just as warm-ups (for the WTC final),” Wagner told reporters at the Auckland airport before his departure.

“I know for a fact we’re going to get out there and pride ourselves the way we’ve been playing Test cricket and we want to win Test matches for New Zealand,” he added.

A majority of the New Zealand Test players arrived here on Monday for the two-match series against England and the WTC final against India, but Wagner was part of the second batch of cricketers to leave for their UK tour.

Wagner, ranked number three in the world among Test bowlers, trained with the Dukes ball in Lincoln before departing for England. Dukes ball is used for Test matches in England.

He said he benefited from the camp.

“It’s been quite nice, it’s obviously got different characteristics to the Kookaburra,” Wagner said.

“The way we’ve been training for the last while is something we didn’t always have in the past, having the facilities and having a marquee up and getting a number of training sessions in before going to England.

“On tours in the past you rock up there and you’ve only got a couple of training sessions and maybe one head out with the Dukes ball before the first Test and with that you can find yourself a little bit behind.”

He added, “Having had those little bit of trainings leading into it has been quite beneficial, just because it’s a little bit different, and obviously adapting to it. It’s been really good preparation and everybody is excited bowling with it.”

This will be Wagner’s third trip to England as part of the New Zealand squad, although he played there only during the 2013 Test series, besides playing in the County Championship for Lancashire.

“Sometimes you have to control all that because there’s a high expectation of the ball doing a lot and moving around but sometimes you can get there and it can be quite flat and slow as well,” Wagner said.

“The nice thing about it is we’ve got a wealth of experience and the guys have been there before so we can feed off each other and bounce ideas off each other as well,” he added.

https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/neil-wagner-new-zealand-england-wtc-final-comments-7318736/
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&#55357;&#56803; "It's really, really exciting to be involved in the final, obviously to win it would be that much better"<br><br>One month out from the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WTC21?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WTC21</a> Final, anticipation is growing among the <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BCCI</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/BLACKCAPS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BLACKCAPS</a> stars&#55356;&#57286; <a href="https://t.co/79uJx2RcQ2">pic.twitter.com/79uJx2RcQ2</a></p>— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1394473311871115264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
For India the only selection call is to choose one from Shami and Siraj. Rest practically pick themselves.

Brohit, Gill, Pujara, Kohli, Rahane, Pant, Jadeja, Ashwin, Siraj/Shami, Ishant, Bumrah

What's the likely NZ XI? Latham, Conway, KW, Ross, Nicholls, Watling, Jamieson, Santner, southee, wagner, boult

Looks evenly matched in those conditions.
 
I sure hope so, aap keh munh mein ghee shakar...I hope India loses by an innings to lay to rest this theory of best batting team to rest!

Kohli and few to retire in utter disgust and shame after that :-P

Did your hero Inzamam retire in utter disgust and shame after getting knocked out by Ireland in the 2007 World Cup, specially keeping his mind his extraordinary average of 22 in the 5 World Cups that he played?
 
Looking forward to this.

The pressure is on India as they are the number 1 test team and also the fact they have choked in previous big LO games puts them even under more pressure. Even though its a different format, they won't want that chokers tag following them around. Kohli will be under pressure to select the right team for the conditions as well.

New Zealand are just happy to be in the final. But they should not be underestimated. I don't think India will do that tbf. NZ will be familiar with English conditions and will get some adaption as they are playing against England.
 
As I mentioned before our preparation sucks.

Hard quarantine in Mumbai - May 19 to June 1st.
Flight to London on June 2.
10 Days quarantine in Team hotel in Southampton - June 2 - June 11

Playing Final June 18-22.

We are not playing any practice matches before the final.
Just internal practice wont enough.
 
As I mentioned before our preparation sucks.

Hard quarantine in Mumbai - May 19 to June 1st.
Flight to London on June 2.
10 Days quarantine in Team hotel in Southampton - June 2 - June 11

Playing Final June 18-22.

We are not playing any practice matches before the final.
Just internal practice wont enough.

Only 4 days Hard quarantine in England where they cant leave room but after that they can practice in ground ( last 6 day quarantine ) .
 
Only 4 days Hard quarantine in England where they cant leave room but after that they can practice in ground ( last 6 day quarantine ) .

Just internal practice right?
We are not going to play 3 days practice matches against county team.
 
'Quite an obvious one for me': Michael Vaughan predicts the winner of India vs New Zealand World Test Championship final

The World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand has got the cricketing world excited, and former England captain Michael Vaughan has come up with his pick to win the match.

The final of the World Test Championship is less than a month away and while the Indian team has not yet stepped foot on English soil, New Zealand have arrived in the UK ahead of their two-Test series against hosts England.

New Zealand were the first team to make the final of WTC final, which will be played from June 18 at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. Their opponents will be India, who sealed their place in the final by securing a win in the fourth Test against England in Ahmedabad at home.

The WTC final will see a repeat of the ICC World Cup 2019 semi-final, where New Zealand trumped India by 18 runs in a rain-effected two-day contest. For Virat Kohli's India, it's about retribution. Besides the WC S/F loss, India suffered a 0-2 defeat during their Test series in New Zealand in 2020 as well. Clearly, New Zealand have the edge on the basis of recent performance.

The WTC final has got the cricketing world excited promises to be a fascinating battle. Former England captain Michael Vaughan has come up with his his pick to win WTC final, believing New Zealand will pip India on the basis of the following reasons.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/quite-an-obvious-one-for-me-michael-vaughan-predicts-the-winner-of-india-vs-new-zealand-world-test-championship-final-101621396312014.html
 
Just internal practice right?
We are not going to play 3 days practice matches against county team.

The issue is not just the lack of game practice, it also relates to the fact that the form of a few players is questionable.

Jadeja has just returned from a finger injury and to his credit, he bowled and batted well in the IPL. However, test match cricket is a completely different ball game so whether he gets picked ahead of Axar (who is in red hot form) remains a large question. Additionally, Shubman Gill has gone quiet amongst the runs since the Australia tour, so I don't know if he is ready to bat in English conditions where the likes of Boult and Southee will get that ball to swing a lot.

I think India is going to take a punt on Gill if he plays because he is going to be the weakest link that New Zealand can target with the new ball.

Shami and Siraj is the big question. Shami has about 100+ wickets behind him in test cricket, but his stats in England aren't that impressive. Siraj has been bowling well recently but then again, he is still a newcomer in this Indian team. I think Shami adds more pace and some good short-pitched bowling if conditions are to be flatter than we expect.

The conditions are also the biggest determinant. If ICC is going to be fair, they would make it a pitch with a few dry spots so that both teams can use their best assets and strengths.
 
WTC Final: Team India waits for 'playing conditions' : ICC to update teams shortly

NEW DELHI: What happens if next month's final between India and New Zealand ends in a draw? Or a tie? Or worse, a washout?.
The Indian cricket team is eagerly awaiting a response to this and other questions concerning the 'Playing Conditions' for the marquee clash in Southampton from June 18 to 22.

The International Cricket Council ( ) is expected to release the 'Playing Conditions' in the "coming days".
"Since this is not another bilateral series Test match, we need to know about the playing conditions. There are three basic pointers that we need to know," a senior BCCI official privy to the Indian team's requirements told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

"What happens in case of a draw, tie or an eventual wash-out without at least one innings of both teams not being completed," he added.
"The ICC will be publishing the Playing Conditions in coming days. We can't put a date but I believe they will send it soon."
Indian team will do quarantine in Southampton during Eng vs NZ Test The Indian team, after reaching London, early next month is expected to leave immediately for Southampton where it will be in quarantine during the England versus New Zealand Test match at the Ageas Bowl.

"Yes, India will be in Southampton only when New Zealand and England play the first of their two Tests. We expect ICC to give an idea of the duration of hard or soft quarantine in the next few days.
"Since it's an ICC event, the final notification needs to come from them," the source
said.
The Indian team is hoping to train during its soft quarantine but negotiations are still on with regards to duration of quarantine. Mumbai-based players will join local bio-bubble on May 2. While the likes of , Ravichandran Ashwin, bowling coach Bharat Arun on Wednesday arrived in Mumbai on a charter flight from Chennai, Mohammed Siraj, men's team fielding coach R Sridhar, women's Test and ODI
captain Mithali Raj will all be boarding from Hyderabad.

However, all those living in Mumbai, Pune and adjoining areas can join the team bubble on May 24 like men's team skipper Virat Kohli, his respective red and white ball deputies Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma, and women's team batter Jemimah Rodrigues.

Even , who is recovering from an appendicitis operation is in Mumbai and expected to join the bubble on May 24.

BCCI has deployed three charter flights -- from Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai -- for both male and female cricketers. All those who are not in these three metro cities are supposed to take a private car and reach the destinations for their respective flights.

A few who wanted to fly commercial with their negative reports have been allowed. "Also the rule for boarding a charter flight is that even the driver of the private car needs to be quarantined three days before the journey and have a negative RT-PCR report.

"There was no reason for this clarification but when former players, who have played at the highest level, amplify rumours on social media, you are left with no choice," a senior official said.

Each and every member of the men's and women's team are aware of travel details," he added.

All players, irrespective of whether they are entering on Wednesday or next Monday, are expected to carry three RT-PCR negative results and there will be three more tests on alternate days.
Before boarding the flight to London, every male and female member needs to carry six RT-PCR negative results.

"The BCCI has employed a central agency that is taking care of the RT-PCR tests for both men's and women's teams. Most players in big cities have had paramedics visiting their respective homes to carry out the test.

"For those living in slightly remote areas, where our designated agency doesn't have a branch, the BCCI has asked the players (male and female) to get their tests done with cost to be reimbursed immediately," another senior official said.

Prasidh Krishna and have option of joining by May 24
Stand by pacer Prasidh Krishna and team's reserve wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha have both recovered from COVID-19 but the BCCI will allow them to spend some time at home and get rid of the weakness that is associated with the infection.
"Both Prasidh and Saha are allowed to join a bit late as they are recovering from COVID-19," a Board official said.

There was speculation that one national selector was pushing for Punjab middle-order batsman Mandeep Singh as a stand-by in case Prasidh doesn't get fit in time. Mumbai's Suryakumar Yadav's name was also doing the rounds but there was no confirmation from BCCI about such a move, which cannot even be called a like-for-like replacement.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/icc-world-test-championship/wtc-final-team-india-waits-for-playing-conditions-icc-to-update-teams-shortly/articleshow/82766472.cms
 
The issue is not just the lack of game practice, it also relates to the fact that the form of a few players is questionable.

Jadeja has just returned from a finger injury and to his credit, he bowled and batted well in the IPL. However, test match cricket is a completely different ball game so whether he gets picked ahead of Axar (who is in red hot form) remains a large question. Additionally, Shubman Gill has gone quiet amongst the runs since the Australia tour, so I don't know if he is ready to bat in English conditions where the likes of Boult and Southee will get that ball to swing a lot.

I think India is going to take a punt on Gill if he plays because he is going to be the weakest link that New Zealand can target with the new ball.

Shami and Siraj is the big question. Shami has about 100+ wickets behind him in test cricket, but his stats in England aren't that impressive. Siraj has been bowling well recently but then again, he is still a newcomer in this Indian team. I think Shami adds more pace and some good short-pitched bowling if conditions are to be flatter than we expect.

The conditions are also the biggest determinant. If ICC is going to be fair, they would make it a pitch with a few dry spots so that both teams can use their best assets and strengths.

Siraj is doing really well, he should play.
 
NZ have three left handed bats in Conway, Nicholls, and Latham. Makes the inclusion of Ashwin and Ishant a safe bet.
 
Only 4 days Hard quarantine in England where they cant leave room but after that they can practice in ground ( last 6 day quarantine ) .

This isn't necessarily confirmed yet, it's just what the ECB are trying to request from the government.
 
A minimum of 10 days window for practice has to be found. Otherwise it makes an already lopsided equation even worse.

A 3 day intra-squad match, 3 skill focused net sessions, and two fielding drills. The bare minimum needed.
 
Same old excuses of lack of preparation given by some fans who were enjoying IPL few days ago. Don't forget this year's IPL was postponed otherwise our players especially bowlers like Bumrah wouldn't get enough rest before the WTC final and England tour. :inti
 
What happens if next month’s World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand ends in a draw? Or a tie? Or worse, a washout? The Indian cricket team is eagerly awaiting a response to this and other questions concerning the ‘Playing Conditions’ for the marquee clash in Southampton from June 18 to 22.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is expected to release the ‘Playing Conditions’ in the “coming days”. “Since this is not another bilateral series Test match, we need to know about the playing conditions. There are three basic pointers that we need to know. What happens in case of a draw, tie or an eventual wash-out without at least one inning of both teams not being completed,” a senior BCCI official privy to the Indian team’s requirements was quoted saying.

“The ICC will be publishing the Playing Conditions in the coming days. We can’t put a date, but I believe they will send it soon,” he added.

The Indian team, after reaching London, early next month is expected to leave immediately for Southampton where it will be in quarantine during the England vs New Zealand Test match at the Ageas Bowl.

“Yes, India will be in Southampton only when New Zealand and England play the first of their two Tests. We expect ICC to give an idea of the duration of hard or soft quarantine in the next few days. Since it’s an ICC event, the final notification needs to come from them,” the source said.

Sandpaper Gate: ‘Whistleblower’ Fanie de Villiers Ridicules Aussie Bowlers’ Statement, Says Impossible Not to Know What’s Going on Ball

The Indian team is hoping to train during its soft quarantine, but negotiations are still on with regard to the duration of the quarantine.

While the likes of Mayank Agarwal, Ravichandran Ashwin, bowling coach Bharat Arun on Wednesday arrived in Mumbai on a charter flight from Chennai, Mohammed Siraj, men’s team fielding coach R Sridhar, women’s Test and ODI captain Mithali Raj will all be boarding from Hyderabad.

However, all those living in Mumbai, Pune and adjoining areas can join the team bubble on May 24 like men’s team skipper Virat Kohli, his respective red and white ball deputies Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma, and women’s team batter Jemimah Rodrigues.

Even KL Rahul, who is recovering from an appendicitis operation is in Mumbai and expected to join the bubble on May 24. BCCI has deployed three charter flights — from Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai — for both male and female cricketers.

All those who are not in these three metro cities are supposed to take a private car and reach the destinations for their respective flights. A few who wanted to fly commercial with their negative reports have been allowed.

“Also the rule for boarding a charter flight is that even the driver of the private car needs to quarantine three days before the journey and have a negative RT-PCR report. There was no reason for this clarification but when former players, who have played at the highest level, amplify rumours on social media, you are left with no choice. Each and every member of the men’s and women’s team are aware of travel details,” a senior official said.

All players, irrespective of whether they are entering on Wednesday or next Monday, are expected to carry three RT-PCR negative results and there will be three more tests on alternate days. Before boarding the flight to London, every male and female member needs to carry six RT-PCR negative results.

“The BCCI has employed a central agency that is taking care of the RT-PCR tests for both men’s and women’s teams. Most players in big cities have had para medics visiting their respective homes to carry out the test. For those living in slightly remote areas, where our designated agency doesn’t have a branch, the BCCI has asked the players (male and female) to get their tests done with cost to be reimbursed immediately,” another senior official said.

Stand by pacer Prasidh Krishna and team’s reserve wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha have both recovered from COVID-19 but the BCCI will allow them to spend some time at home and get rid of the weakness that is associated with the infection. “Both Prasidh and Saha are allowed to join a bit late as they are recovering from COVID-19,” a Board official said.

There was speculation that one national selector was pushing for Punjab middle-order batsman Mandeep Singh as a stand-by in case Prasidh doesn’t get fit in time. Mumbai’s Suryakumar Yadav’s name was also doing the rounds but there was no confirmation from BCCI about such a move, which cannot even be called a like-for-like replacement.

News18
 
Surely if the match ends in a draw, the trophy should be awarded to the team which finished higher in the table.
 
Surely if the match ends in a draw, the trophy should be awarded to the team which finished higher in the table.

It's a test match, I think they can at least show some intent and have another game to decide the champion.

If they award it based on position on the table, it will only inflict deeper wounds into test cricket, a format that gets less popular day by day.
 
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