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'I feel India might go with...': Ravi Shastri's preferred wicket-keeper For WTC Final against Australia 

image-lie0sznrIshan Kishan is India's second-choice keeper [Source: Twitter]

Ahead of the all-important ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 against Australia next week, India are faced with a selection dilemma, regarding which wicket-keeper should be played. In the absence of Rishabh Pant, Srikar Bharat is India's designated keeper, while Ishan Kishan is the backup, who came late into the squad following KL Rahul's unavailability. 

While Bharat has played Test for India and performed well behind the wicket, Kishan is yet to make his debut but provides the side with explosive batting down the order, something that Pant mastered. Former India player and coach Ravi Shastri has an interesting take on India's wicketkeeping conundrum. 

Speaking to Star Sports, while selecting his playing XI for The Oval Test, Shastri said that India will pick either Bharat or Kishan based on their bowling selection.

Here's what Shastri said

"When you look at the WTC, if I remember from the last time India were in the final, it is very important what you learn from that game. You got to pick a team that suits the conditions. Last time in Southampton the weather was really overcast. Hence I will pick my 12. My 12 is very clear: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara at No. 3, Virat Kohli at 4, Ajinkya Rahane at 5."

"Now the choice has to be between KS Bharat and Ishan Kishan. I have a feeling that India might just go with...depending on who is playing...two spinners are playing may be KS Bharat. But if there are four seamers and one spinner then it will go the other way. Six will be Jadeja, 7 will be Mohammed Shami, 8 will be Mohammed Siraj, 9 will be Shardul Thakur. 11 will be Ravichandran Ashwin and 12 will be Umesh Yadav."

Kishan is coming off a brilliant season with Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, scoring 454, while Bharat, who represents Gujarat Titans (GT) did not play a single game in the recently concluded competition. 

The WTC Final 2023 gets underway on June 7.