Indian veteran wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik feels that might drop their star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin from the playing 11 to accommodate the fourth pacer Umesh Yadav on the green top surface in Kennington Oval. The RCB batter will once again wear the cap of the commentator during the World Test Championship final and Ashes 2023.
With the discussion around Oval Pitch growing, there is a lot of discussions around the Indian bowling combination going into the much-awaited final, as the experts were divided by their opinion of playing three seamers and two spinners or four seamers and one spinner against formidable Australian batting lineup.
Speaking on Cricbuzz alongside renowned Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle, The 2007- World Cup winner Dinesh Karthik feels that the Indian team management might be tempted to go with four seamers and one spinner leaving out the Indian ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, though he had done well in previous WTC Final against New Zealand.
Karthik revealed that Indian veteran pacer Umesh Yadav has been bowling phenomenally well in the nets, as that gives us an indication that the speedster will definitely be part of the playing 11 against Australia.
“Leave out Ashwin and play four pacers. I enjoyed Ashwin bowling in Southampton, but – is the coach gonna do the same thing again? I doubt it. Umesh Yadav has bowled well in the nets. He is looking sharp, and feeling good body-wise. I have a strong feeling they’ll go with Umesh,” Dinesh Karthik said.
It would be a tough call for the Indian management to leave out Ravichandran Ashwin, who has done exceptionally well for the Rohit Sharma-led side in the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2023, and the Tamil Nadu all-rounder can be lethal against the left-handed dominated Aussies batting attack and can play some use cameos down the order for the team.
If They Wanna Cross The Line, It’s Gonna Be Cheteshwar Pujara – Dinesh Karthik
Dinesh Karthik, who has seen the Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli in close quarters during the recently concluded Indian Premier League believes that the former Indian skipper is looking at his usual best and excepts him to score runs in the final and reckons that Cheteshwar Pujara would be a key player for India in the WTC final as he could determine India Chances in the high-octane final.
“He [Virat Kohli] batted well right from the start. In the first game, he got a 70 against Mumbai Indians. He was looking top-notch, and right at the back end of the IPL. He showed his class. The two hundred that he got is phenomenal. He is batting brilliantly and I am very sure he’ll have a good score,” he added.
“For me the key for India to do well in the WTC final and if they wanna cross the line, it’s gonna be Cheteshwar Pujara,” Dinesh Karthik added.
The Star Indian batter Virat Kohli, alongside Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ajinkya Rahane is expected to play a vital role for India in the middle order, as they carry ample amount of experience playing in the England conditions over the last few years.