WTC 2023 Final: Team India is set to take on Australia in the final clash of the World Test Championship set to be played at the Kennington, Oval from June 7. Ahead of the match, Rohit Sharma and Co have a decision to make regarding the wicket-keeper slot in the playing XI. To note, both KS Bharath and Ishan Kishan have been named in the squad but only one of them can find his place in the playing XI.
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It must be noted that Bharat had played in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023. On the other hand, Ishan has yet to make his India Test debut. However, in IPL 2023, Kishan scored 454 runs in 15 innings and many former cricketers also backed him saying that the left-hander’s aggressive batting could prove to be an X-factor for India. The likes of Ricky Ponting, Aaron Finch and even Yuzvendra Chahal has backed Kishan to make his Test debut in the all-important clash.
As mentioned above Kishan is yet to make his Test debut. Speaking about Bharat’s numbers in Test cricket, the right-handed batter has played six innings and amassed 101 runs at an average of 20.2. He has the highest score of 44 runs with his strike rate being just a shade under 60.
“If I was them [India], knowing the importance of this game – and you have to win this Test match – I’d be going with Ishan Kishan in this game,” Ponting said, as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.
“He provides that little bit of X-factor that you need when you might be pushing for a win in a Test match. Obviously, if Rishabh Pant is fit, he is playing, and he provides that X-factor for India. But with him not being there, and this is no blot on Bharat whatsoever, I think Kishan just provides that little bit more X-factor, who’d do a good job with the gloves but can provide that really high-scoring run rate that is required in a one-off Test match to push for a win,” Ponting added.
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