India lock horns with Australia as Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bowl first in the all-important World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 final at the Oval on Wednesday (June 7).
But Rohit came out with a bombshell right before the high-octane drama as he dropped World no.1 bowler in Test Ravichandran Ashwin from India's playing XI. While announcing India's playing XI, Rohit said that Indian team is going with extra seamer for the summit clash against Australia. With four-seamer-and-one-spinner combination Rohit considered Umesh Yadav in India's final XI.
Ashwin's absence explained
After winning the toss India skipper said that it is always tough to leave Ashwin as he has been a match-winner for the team over the course of so many years. He went on to say that one got to do the things that's needed for the team.
“We are going to bowl. Just the conditions and also the weather being overcast. I don't think the pitch will change too much. You have to play good cricket and come out on top. Four seamers and one spinner. The spinner is Jadeja. It's always tough (to leave Ashwin), he's been a match-winner for us over the course of so many years. But you got to do the things that's needed for the team and eventually we came up with that decision. He (Rahane) brings a lot of experience, he's played 80-odd Test matches and he's done well for the team. He's been out for a while but but I don't think the experience that he has can change all of that,” Rohit said.
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Ashwin's absence took everyone by surprise as he has been sizzling form in the Border-Gavaskar series against Australia in earlier in February this year. In the four-match series which India won 2-1, Ashwin snared the most 25 wickets and was adjudged the Player of the series for his brilliant show with the ball and bat as well.
Meanwhile, Australian skipper Pat Cummins said,"We would have bowled as well, I don't think it makes too much of a difference. Hopefully day four and five, there's a bit of spin. You think it suits his (Boland) bowling, he's in the same spot all day long. This wicket has a bit of grass, he'll be a key weapon. We've been here for about 10 days. Pretty fresh, weather has been nice, we haven't missed a session, feeling good."
India's Playing XI: Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Srikar Bharat(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj.
Australia's Playing XI: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey(w), Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.
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