In a significant decision, India won the toss and elected to bowl first in the highly anticipated World Test Championship final against Australia. The Indian team made a notable change by including an extra pacer, Shardul Thakur, in place of Ravichandran Ashwin. The match also witnessed a somber moment as players from both teams wore black armbands as a mark of respect for the victims of a devastating train accident in Odisha. The tragic incident claimed the lives of nearly 300 people, making it one of the deadliest train accidents in India’s history.
Captain Rohit Sharma, after winning the toss, decided to field in this crucial game. Alongside Ashwin, Sharma also left out Ishan Kishan and opted for specialist keeper KS Bharat. The team welcomed Ajinkya Rahane back into the Test squad, as his impressive performance in the IPL earned him a spot. With Ashwin absent, Team India relies solely on Ravindra Jadeja as the spinner. However, given the prevailing overcast conditions, the fast bowlers are expected to play a prominent role.
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Speaking at the toss, Rohit Sharma explained, “We are going to bowl, considering the conditions and the overcast weather. I don’t think the pitch will undergo significant changes. It’s important to play good cricket and emerge victorious. We have four seamers and one spinner, which is Jadeja. It’s always tough (to leave out Ashwin), as he has been a match-winner for us over the years.”
🚨 Toss Update 🚨@ImRo45 has won the toss & #TeamIndia have elected to bowl against Australia in the #WTC23 Final
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/0nYl21pwaw pic.twitter.com/Kcn0xWDGrT
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 7, 2023
Sharma further emphasized the inclusion of Ajinkya Rahane, stating, “Rahane brings a wealth of experience, having played 80-odd Test matches, and he has contributed significantly to the team. Although he has been out of the team for a while, his experience remains invaluable.”
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As the WTC final gets underway, all eyes are on the players as they battle it out on the field. The tribute to the train accident victims serves as a reminder of the larger issues beyond the game, while the teams strive for glory in this highly anticipated contest.
Australia (Playing XI): David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey(w), Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Srikar Bharat(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj
