WTC Final: Wasim Jaffer picks India’s playing XI for the high-profile clash

Former India opening batter Wasim Jaffer has now picked his playing XI for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final. While cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra dropped Ravindra Jadeja and Ishant Sharma from the final XI, Jaffer went with the latter purely because of his experience in the England conditions.

The 43-year-old feels veteran pacer Sharma will be ideal as he has played over 100 Tests and also getting experience while playing County cricket. Jaffer also lauded Mohammed Siraj’s efforts in his debut series Down Under where the bowler picked up 12 wickets in just three Tests. Many former cricketers and experts have picked Siraj in their teams due to his ability to move the ball both ways.

Some experts have gone for Sharma due to relentless accuracy in bowling third and fourth spells and Jaffer too is one of them who has gone for experience over youth. He spoke about his playing XI on his YouTube channel.

“I feel the fast bowlers, especially Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, pick themselves. They are outstanding bowlers and then you have a choice between Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Siraj who had a really good Test series against Australia.”

One notable fact is, Sharma was former India skipper MS Dhoni’s go-to-bowler in England series in 2014, where he picked seven wickets at Lord’s. He has delivered in this seam and swing conditions and that’s why Jaffer feels he would be ideal more than Siraj.

Wasim Jaffer includes both Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in WTC Final playing XI

Apart from picking Sharma, Jaffer further has gone on with two spinners in the final team. He feels that skipper Virat Kohli should look to be aggressive and both could beef up the batting order too due to their ability to bat well.

“I would definitely think about playing two spinners because both of them can bat so Jadeja will come at 7 and Ashwin at 8 and both have got Test hundreds. So you have that liberty of playing an off-spinner and a left-arm spinner. The ball will spin on the fourth and fifth day and these guys will come in handy.”

“Knowing Ravi Shastri, Virat Kohli, they always go with an aggressive mindset, with the thinking of winning the Test, I am sure they will go with five bowlers,” Jaffer explained.

Wasim Jaffer’s Indian XI for the WTC Final: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah