Ashish Ranjan
Former England cricketer Monty Panesar wants India to field two spinners in the June 7 World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval. Notably, the world’s top-ranked Test side has rarely played two spinners on English soil in the past, so it will be intriguing to see if both Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin make the starting XI for the championship match.
In the meantime, Panesar anticipates that the pitch at The Oval will favor batsmen and thus believes that it will be ideal for the Rohit Sharma-led team to utilize both of their senior spinners, as the pitch also aids spinners. The 41-year-old also stated that Australia has historically struggled against India’s spin duo in Test cricket and that the pitch will alter on the fourth and fifth day, favoring spinners.
“On this particular pitch in England, two spinners are typically used.” If the ball spins, spinners will also experience rebound. In my opinion, the pitch will be level. In these conditions, India would benefit from playing two spinners. Australia has previously struggled against spinners, particularly those from India. I also don’t see them maintaining lawn because they want the match to last at least four days, Panesar was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.
I would choose Umesh Yadav as the third seamer.
Panesar wants India to trust Umesh Yadav alongside Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj in the pace department. He also stated that the ball will reverse at The Oval, which could be advantageous for Indian bowlers, and that Umesh’s quick pace can be a problem for Australian batsmen.
“It will also be fascinating to see who the seamers are, as they have a variety of options. In my opinion, India is the superior party on all fronts. As Ashwin and Jadeja will increase their batting options, I would choose Umesh as the third pacer. Rohit can approach him with the request, “I want you to bowl five overs at 140 mph or more and rough up the Australian batters.” You will need that additional speed.
Also See | Sunil Gavaskar picks India’s playing XI for WTC final
“The ball does reverse at The Oval, and we’ve seen how proficient the Indian bowlers are at reverse spin. They are able to handle the ball more than the Australian pacers. This contest is India’s to lose,” Panesar stated.
