The World Test Championship (WTC) final between India and Australia is set to get underway in just a few days. Team India, led by Rohit Sharma, would be keen to wipe away the bitter memories of their defeat against New Zealand in the last WTC final and lay their hands on the coveted trophy this time.

The Australian team, however, will not be pushovers when the match starts at The Oval on June 7. Since 2013, India has come agonizingly close to claiming ICC trophies on multiple occasions, only to be left disheartened. However, this WTC final marks their second appearance and represents a golden chance for the team to end their trophy drought.

Unfortunately, the Indian squad will have to face this challenge without the services of some key players like Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant due to injuries. The Indian pace line-up remains formidable even in Bumrah’s absence. The absence of Pant and his match-winning abilities, however, has created a selection dilemma between Ishan Kishan and KS Bharat.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri who understands the dynamics of the side has weighed in on the issue. He said that the management should look at the conditions on offer before choosing their side. He also cited the example of the WTC final last year and why he picked the final playing XI.

“Reflecting on our previous final in Southampton, we must learn from that experience. It is crucial to choose a team that suits the prevailing conditions. In Southampton, the weather was predominantly overcast, which influenced my selection,” Shastri said in an interview with the host broadcasters.

Shastri picked his preferred side and went in with Ajinkya Rahane at number 5 after the likes of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli.

He went on to add that he would pick either KS Bharat or Ishan Kishan primarily looking at conditions. Shastri said that if India picked two spinners, they could well opt for Bharat owing to his better wicket-keeping skills.

“If we go with four seamers and one spinner, the selection would sway in the other direction. Our line-up will feature Ravindra Jadeja at six, Mohammed Shami at seven, Mohammed Siraj at eight, and Shardul Thakur at nine. Ravichandran Ashwin will occupy the eleventh spot, with Umesh Yadav completing the twelve-man squad,” Shastri said.