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Updated June 10th, 2021 at 23:23 IST

Harbhajan Singh advises Virat Kohli to pick Mohammed Siraj over THIS bowler for WTC Final

Team India's former off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has said that he would have picked Mohammed Siraj over Ishant Sharma for the WTC Final if he was the skipper

Reported by: Ujjwal Samrat
Harbhajan Singh/Mohammed Siraj
Image Credits: AP/PTI | Image:self
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As Team India is all set to lock horns with New Zealand in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final, the million-dollar question which every cricket expert and fan is asking is what kind of combination Virat Kohli will go with. Now, Team India's former off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has said that he would have picked Mohammed Siraj over Ishant Sharma for the WTC Final if he was the skipper of Team India.

Harbhajan Singh calls Mohammed Siraj 'Better Choice' over Ishant Sharma

As Team India has gone to the United Kingdom with a 20-man squad for the WTC Final and England tour, Virat Kohli's biggest challenge will be to choose the perfect playing XI against New Zealand on June 18. With pacers like Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, and Mohammed Siraj in the fray, Virat Kohli will be forced to sit one pacer out in order to play in-form all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Now, Harbhajan Singh has lauded Mohammed Siraj and suggested Virat Kohli to pick him ahead of experienced Ishant Sharma. 

"If I was the captain, I would go with three pure fast bowlers. In that case, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami pick themselves. In this final, I would like to go with Mohammed Siraj ahead of Ishant Sharma. Ishant is a brilliant bowler but for this game, my choice is Siraj, who has shown remarkable improvement in the last two years," said Harbhajan Singh as reported by PTI. 

"You have to look at present scenario. Siraj's form, pace, and confidence makes him a better choice for this final match. The kind of form he is in last six months, he looks like a bowler who is hungry for his chances. Ishant has gone through some injuries of late but has been a great servant of Indian cricket no doubt," the off-spinner said. 

"If you leave some grass on the surface, Siraj with his pace will be lethal. Trust me, New Zealand batters won't find him easy as he not only hits the deck but also gets to move the ball off the pitch at a brisk pace. He can create awkward angles for batsmen," added Harbhajan.

Harbhajan Singh 'impressed' after Mohammed Siraj troubled Andre Russell

What has impressed Harbhajan most is IPL matches where Siraj troubled Andre Russell as Kolkata Knight Riders took on Royal Challengers Bangalore. "I saw him during 2019 when Russell blasted him to all corners of the ground. This year I saw him bowl some really accurate yorkers and consistently hitting the right spot ball after ball. The pace has also increased." 

"Russell was beaten for pace during a couple of deliveries. It's the confidence that he gained by playing for India. He would look into batsmen's eyes and batters are on back-foot." 

On Gill, Harbhajan believes that the talented Punjab lad would have certainly worked on his flaws and hoped he would come out all guns blazing during the next three months in England. "A good first innings score of 375 to 400 will set up the match nicely for Indian pace attack. But for that Gill needs to bat well. Rohit has had enormous white-ball success in England during the World Cup and he is an experienced hand. 

"You don't want a situation where Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara are every time walking in at 15 for 2. You should also give a start which allows them to build and consolidate."

(Image Credits: AP/PTI)

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Published June 10th, 2021 at 23:23 IST

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