Sanjay Manjrekar picks his India XI for WTC final, leaves out Ishant and Jadeja

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has picked his India playing XI for the ICC World Test Championship final slated to be played against New Zealand from 18th June (Friday). 

Manjrekar who is known as someone who doesnt minces his words said that his picks were based on the assumptions that India will be encountering typical English conditions where the ball is seaming and swinging around. 

As per the weather forecast for the match, rain is predicted fr all days and hence Manjrekarwent with a lone spinner in the form of Ravichandran Ashwin. 

“I’m assuming you have typical English conditions. I’m assuming there will be a mixture of sun and cloudy cover throughout the five days of the Test match if it goes the distance. So, I’m picking the team accordingly," Manjrekar was quoted as saying by the ESPN Cricinfo. 

Most of the picks are on expected terms but he has opted to play only one spinner leaving out Ravindra Jadeja from the XI with whom he had a verbal conflict during the 2019 World Cup. He also left out experienced campaigner Ishant Sharma from his XI and decided to play an extra batsman in the form of Hanuma Vihari. 

Manjrekar wants to reward Vihari for his exceptional performance against Australia in Sydney last year before he succumbed to an injury and couldn't play the final Test and the home series against England. 

He has also got the experience of playing County cricket very recently which might work in his favour. Meanwhile, Manjrekar went with Mohammed Siraj as the third seamer alongside Bumrah and Shami. 

 “Going to have Hanuma Vihari to reward him for his brilliant innings before he got injured," Manjrekar said. “India will need somebody with more compact defensive technique because the guys at the top of the order, barring (Cheteshwar) Pujara, aren’t those kinds. So I will have Hanuma Vihari at number 6. (Rishabh)Pant at 7, considering India have hardly had any practice game. I just want to make sure the batting runs deep.”

Manjrekar feels that while Ishant, Bumrah and Shami are like for like bowlers, Siraj is a bit different who might offer different dynamics for the team’s cause. 

“Want Siraj, the swing bowler to be brought into the equation, and the last time Siraj bowled overseas in Australia, got a five-wicket haul. Hard to leave a bowler like him out. You will be tempted to think of Siraj because when you look at Shami, Bumrah and Ishant, they are more seam bowlers, hit-the-deck kind of bowler. Siraj might offer something different. I would go with Siraj, but India might play Ishant for obvious reasons," he said.

Sanjay Manjrekar’s WTC XI For India: Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj