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Updated June 10th, 2021 at 16:58 IST

WTC final: Netizens want Virat Kohli to play Mohammad Siraj in place of Shami against NZ

Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Shardul Thakur & Siraj are amongst the pacers that Virat Kohli will have to choose for the WTC final

Reported by: Jitesh Vachhatani
WTC
Image Credits: PTI/AP | Image:self
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As New Zealand face England at Lord's on Thursday morning in the second Test, Team India stepped out of their quarantine and had their first group training session at the lush green Southampton stadium with an eye on the World Test Championship (WTC) finale sitting just eight days away now. The marquee ICC event, first of its kind ever, will see New Zealand and India lock horns in the ultimate clash after having battled in intensive Test series over the last two years. 

While the Kiwis will enter the finale with some stimulated match practice that comes in the form of the ongoing two-match Test series against England, Virat Kohli and his men will be upbeat and raring to go having played their last Test back in February against England on home soil. However, to Kohli's dismay lies a tense selection trauma as the jumbo squad comprises young guns that led India to the historic win against Australia and then there are the time & tested veterans of the game. 

Contrary to Kane Williamson's method of trying out all players in the two-match Test against England which ends three days before the finale, Kohli and Ravi Shastri would be expected to pick the perfect XI at once to help the skipper win his maiden ICC title, as there is no second chance. Although the batting lineup seems to be an automatic selection with Cheteshwar Pujara, the skipper himself, Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma forming the spine, the green grass at the Ageas Bowl and given England's historic swinging conditions might make the selection of the bowling attack a headache for Virat Kohli. 

Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Shardul Thakur and Siraj are amongst the pacers that Virat Kohli will have to choose. While each comes with a peculiarity and expertise of their own, they would also be competing with spinners Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel - all of whom possess the additional skill of batting as well. Shardul Thakur and Siraj's impeccable performances against Australia have made them recent favourites as Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Shami lack game time. With the final between India and New Zealand inching closer, netizens have stormed Twitter seeking Siraj's inclusion in the playing XI over Shami, who is coming off a long break due to injury. 

Here are some of the reactions: 

New Zealand make six changes for 2nd Test

In what appears to be New Zealand's strategy to get all players match ready and probably a test to zero down on the playing XI, the Kiwis have six changes to their XI from the first Test against England as they met again on Thursday morning for the second Test. Skipper Kane Williamson, BJ Watling, Tim Southee, and Kyle Jamieson are amongst those benched to make way for Matt Henry, Ajaz Patel, and Will Young. 

https://twitter.com/bhogleharsha/status/1402928739151880200

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Published June 10th, 2021 at 16:58 IST

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