Former India head coach Ravi Shastri is of the opinion that KS Bharat would be the ‘obvious choice’ for the team management for the wicketkeeper's role during the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia to be played in England from June 7-11.
India's first-choice wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant is still recovering from a car crash, with his back-up KL Rahul recuperating from surgery on his right thigh himself. The Indian team management is in a dilemma on who to select between Bharat and Ishan Kishan as their first-choice wicketkeeper for the WTC final at The Oval.
Shastri revealed that since Bharat was also the wicketkeeper for the Border-Gavaskar series earlier in 2023, he expected the 29-year-old to play ahead of Kishan.
"You have to see who's a better keeper. Is it Bharat or Ishan Kishan? Now, the fact that Bharat was given a run against Australia, where he played all the Test matches, I think he would be the obvious choice to go with," Shastri said on the ICC Review.
Bharat was good behind the stumps but not up to the mark with the bat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), scoring just 101 runs in six innings on turning tracks.
Meanwhile, Kishan was not handed an opportunity against Australia and was brought into the WTC final squad after Rahul's injury during the IPL.
Shastri indicated that the playing conditions at the WTC final venue would ultimately decide which wicketkeeper ultimately gets to play.
"See, that's another tight one (decision). Now, if two spinners are playing, then you would want Bharat to play," said Shastri.
Though Bharat has played just four Tests, his domestic experience of 90 first-class games in the longer format could also tilt the scale in his favour. Kishan, on the other hand is yet to make his Test debut and has 48 first-class appearances.
However, the young wicketkeeper has accomplished more with the bat than Bharat, having scored an ODI double-century against Bangladesh in Chattogram late last year.
The left-handed batter also brings variety in an otherwise right-hand dominant batting line-up and the former India coach said there is not much separating the two cricketers.
"There's not much there. It's not that one guy is far better than the other. Batting will also come into play, whether you want Ishan Kishan's batting to shore up the middle order. That's another thing you'll take into perspective," said Shastri.
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