Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden expressed his belief that Rishabh Pant’s absence from the World Test Championship final would be a significant loss for India. Additionally, he advocated for the inclusion of Ishan Kishan over KS Bharat as the wicketkeeper for the summit clash against Australia.
India is preparing to face Australia in the final of the World Test Championship 2021-23 at the Oval in London from June 7 to 11. However, India has been grappling with several injury concerns, and they have been without their star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant since he suffered multiple injuries in a car accident in December 2022.
Rishabh Pant has been a key contributor to India’s success in overseas Tests in recent years, particularly in their remarkable 2-1 victory over Australia during the 2020-21 series. KL Rahul was initially designated as the backup wicketkeeper, while KS Bharat was selected as the primary gloveman in India’s 15-man squad for the WTC 2023 final. However, KL Rahul was ruled out of the summit clash in London due to a thigh injury he sustained while playing for the Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2023.
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Matthew Hayden, in an interview with PTI, expressed his view on the matter, stating, “One of the big losses to Indian cricket right now is Rishabh Pant. If I was an Indian selector, I would certainly go with the more dynamic wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan. He also adds that bit of swagger to the batting line-up and the fielding unit as well.”
Although Ishan Kishan has yet to make his Test debut for India, the Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper-batter has been in good form leading up to the WTC final. Known for his aggressive style of play in white-ball cricket, Kishan has the potential to make a similar impact in red-ball cricket as Pant did for India in the middle order.
In addition to discussing the wicketkeeper position, Hayden suggested that India should consider playing both R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the WTC final, whereas Australia may not adopt a similar strategy. Cameron Green is expected to be Australia’s fifth bowling option, and the Mumbai Indians all-rounder, who performed well in IPL 2023, provides the Australian team with a valuable batting option.
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Matthew Hayden emphasized the importance of having two spinners for India, stating, “What works for India is two spinners. It doesn’t work for Australia, apart from the outrageous turners that we saw in India during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. I know the Australian combination will always want to have three quicks. Obviously, Nathan Lyon is our spinner, and Cameron Green can play as an all-rounder. That’s how important Cameron Green is. That’s a powerful and important role that he plays as an all-rounder. So it’s great to have him in form.”
The stage is set for an intriguing clash as India aims to lift their first ICC trophy in nearly a decade, while Australia seeks to assert their dominance in the pinnacle of Test cricket.
