Dubai. Former India head coach Ravi Shastri believes that KS Bharath will be the team management’s ‘obvious choice’ for the wicketkeeper role in next month’s World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia in England.
India’s first-choice wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant is recovering from a car accident and his replacement Lokesh Rahul has also undergone surgery on his right thigh. The Indian team management is in a quandary over who to pick between Bharat and Ishan Kishan for the WTC finals starting on June 7 at The Oval. He is hoping that the management will give preference to the 29-year-old over Ishan.
Shastri said in ‘ICC Review’, “You have to see who is the better wicketkeeper. Is it Bharat or Ishan Kishan? Now the fact that Bharat was given a chance against Australia where he played all the Test matches, I think he will be the clear choice to be picked in the playing XI. According to could not bat. He could only score 101 runs on spin-friendly pitches.
Kishan, on the other hand, did not get a chance against Australia and was included in the Indian squad for the WTC following Rahul’s injury during the IPL. Shastri hinted that the venue conditions for the WTC final will ultimately determine which wicketkeeper will be fielded. get a chance.
Shastri said, “See, this is another hard (decision). Now if two spinners are playing, then you want Bharat to play.”
Although Bharat has played just four Tests, his domestic experience of 90 first-class matches in the longer format makes him stand out. Ishan, on the other hand, is yet to make his Test debut and has played 48 first-class matches. Ishan has achieved more with the bat than Bharat. He scored an ODI double century against Bangladesh in Chittagong late last year. India and Royal Challengers Bangalore veteran wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik feels India’s experience should make him an automatic pick for the WTC final.
“I think Bharath will be an easy pick because Ishan Kishan is going to make his debut and playing straight into the World Test Championship final will be a bit more than expected,” he said, “and the fact that KS Bharath Perhaps because of being a better wicketkeeper, they make their shoulders heavier. So I think he will go with KS Bharath for the final.”