WTC Final: Ajit Agarkar picks Rohit Sharma-Mayank Agarwal to be opening pair vs NZ

India and New Zealand are all set to lock horns with each other in the high-octane World Test Championship Final on June 18. While the Indian team is currently serving the mandatory quarantine in Southampton, the Kiwis are in the middle of a two-match Test series against England. With the all-important WTC Final 2021 fast approaching, both sides are leaving no stone unturned in their preparations.

Ajit Agarkar chooses Mayank Agarwal to partner Rohit Sharma at the top

Meanwhile, cricketing pundits across the world are also sharing their thoughts on what playing XIs should look like. A number of analysts have come forward and had their say on what combination Indian skipper Virat Kohli should opt for the WTC final. One of the major questions that have been discussed is "who will open for India vs NZ?" While Rohit Sharma is a sure starter, there are several candidates like Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul who are competing to partner the Mumbai Indians skipper at the top.

Recently, former Indian speedster Ajit Agarkar shared his views on who will open for India vs NZ. He also went on to pick the playing XI that India should field for the clash. Agarkar chose Mayank Agarwal to open alongside Rohit Sharma for the  WTC final. It is worth mentioning that Mayank was a regular opener for India but he was dropped during the Australia tour after he failed to perform in the first two Tests. On the other hand, Shubman Gill who impressed during the tour Down Under had an underwhelming series against England which is why it will be interesting to see who Virat Kohli chooses to open with.

Ajit Agarkar formed a middle-order consisting of Cheteshwar Pujara, skipper Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Rishabh Pant. He included both Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandra Ashwin at No. 7 and 8. Agarkar further chose to snub Mohammed Siraj, who has performed exceedingly well recently and decided to go with the experienced trio of Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah.

WTC Final time

As per the WTC Final schedule, the WTC Final date is June 18 and the game will be played till June 22. The WTC final time in India is 3:30 PM (IST). A Reserve Day (June 23) has also been set to ensure five full days of play. The Reserve Day will only be used if lost playing time cannot be recovered through the normal provisions of making up lost time each day. Notably, there will be no additional day’s play if a positive result is not achieved after five full days of play and the match will be declared a draw in such a scenario.

SOURCE: PTI/ MAYANK AGARWAL INSTAGRAM