In the Hot Seat Three Indian Players Facing Test Exclusion Following WTC Final Loss
The recent World Test Championship( WTC) final loss against New Zealand has transferred shock waves across the Indian cricketing fraternity. While there were moments of brilliance from certain players in the Indian players, the overall performance of the team was underwhelming.
As the Indian team gears up for the forthcoming Test series against England, there are many Indian players who are facing the heat for their poor performances in the WTC final. Let’s take a look at the three players who might face test rejection in the forthcoming series.
1. Possible reasons behind India’s Test defeat in the WTC Final
India’s defeat in the World Test Championship Final came as a shock to numerous cricket players, especially considering their dominant performances in the lead up to the match. Still, there were many possible reasons behind the loss that can not be ignored.
originally, India’s further unit plodded to perform against the New Zealand bowlers. None of the Indian players were suitable to score a half- century in either innings, with captain Virat Kohli being the loftiest arranger with just 44 runs.
Secondly, India’s pace bowlers, who were anticipated to be the key to palm, failed to deliver on the seaming conditions of the Southampton pitch.
Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, both considered to be India’s top pace bowlers, took just three lattices between them. Incidentally, the decision to play two spinners rather than three cleft on a seaming track didn’t pay off for India.
All these factors combined contributed to India’s defeat in the WTC Final and have left many Indian players facing the trouble of rejection from the Test team.
2. Three Indian players whose Test careers are under trouble
India’s defeat in the World Test Championship( WTC) Final has put the Test careers of some Indian players in jeopardy. Then are the three players who could potentially face the mincing block
- Ajinkya Rahane The educated middle- order batsman had a memorable WTC Final, scoring just 49 runs in four innings. Also, his inconsistent form over the time has raised doubts about his place in the team.
- Ishant Sharma The expert fast bowler plodded to make an impact in the WTC Final, taking just two lattices in the match. With youngish bellwethers like Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur performing well, Ishant’s spot in the team is under trouble.
- Hanuma Vihari Vihari’s heroic innings in the Sydney Test against Australia before this time seems like a distant memory now. The middle- order batsman scored just 32 runs in three innings in the WTC Final, and his lack of runs and dexterity on the field could lead to his rejection. It remains to be seen whether the Indian team will take the drastic step of dropping these three players, but their performances in the WTC Final have clearly put them in the hot seat.
3. 1st Player Ajinkya Rahane
One of the players who could be facing the dismissal following India’s defeat in the WTC Final is Ajinkya Rahane. While he was one of the crucial batsmen for India in their Test series win against Australia, his form has dipped significantly in recent matches.
In the WTC Final, he scored just 15 runs across both innings. There are arguments both for and against dropping Rahane from the Test team.
On the one hand, he has been a dependable middle- order batsman for India in the history, and has shown the capability to play important innings in pressure situations.
On the other hand, his form has been inconsistent, and India may want to look to youngish, more dynamic batsmen to make for the future.
Still, India will need to find a reliever who can fill his shoes in the middle order, If Rahane is indeed dropped. Implicit options include Shubman Gill, who has impressed as a natural, or indeed Rishabh Pant, who has shown the capability to club in the middle order in Test matches. Whatever decision the Indian pickers make, it’s clear that the pressure is on Indian players like Rahane to prove their worth in the Test team.
4. 2nd Player Ishant Sharma
Another Indian player whose place in the Test team is in jeopardy following the WTC final is Ishant Sharma.
The altitudinous fast bowler has been a crucial player for India in the longest format of the game for over a decade, but his recent performances have been below.
In the WTC final, Ishant plodded to make an impact with the ball, picking up just one goal in the match.
One of the enterprises for Indian pickers would be Ishant’s age and fitness. The 32- time-old has been agonized with injuries in recent times and his workload operation will be pivotal going forward.
While his experience would be precious for India in the Test arena, the team might be forced to look beyond him if they need to give a chance to the coming generation of Indian fast bowlers. There are several youthful Indian bellwethers who have been performing constantly in domestic cricket and the Indian Premier League( IPL).
Players like Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, and Shardul Thakur have all shown casts of their implicit and could be in the reckoning for a place in the Test team. Still, it would be a big call to drop a proven pantomime like Ishant, especially given his track record in Indian conditions.
On the other hand, the Indian team might decide to give Ishant one last chance to prove his worth in the Test arena. The forthcoming Test series against England in August- September would give him an occasion to recapture his form and cement his place in the Indian team.
Still, if he fails to deliver, he might be gaping at the end of his Test career. Overall, it’ll be a tough decision for Indian pickers to make with respect to Ishant Sharma’s future in the Test team. While his experience and chops are still precious, the team might need to make some hard choices in order to take Indian cricket forward.
5. 3rd Player Hanuma Vihari
The final player in the hot seat following India’s defeat in the WTC Final is Hanuma Vihari. The middle- order batsman was given the task of stabilizing the innings alongside Cheteshwar Pujara in the pivotal alternate innings, but unfortunately, he was dismissed for just 23 runs.
Vihari has been a harmonious pantomime for India in the longer format of the game, but his recent performances haven’t been over the mark. In the four Tests he has played in the 2020- 21 season, Vihari has scored just 128 runs at a normal of 16.00, which isn’t a great record for an Indian middle- order batsman.
Also, Vihari’s slow scoring rate has been a concern for India. In the WTC Final, he consumed 161 balls to score his 23 runs, which didn’t help India’s cause of scoring snappily. With the likes of KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav knocking on the door, Vihari’s place in the team could be under trouble. Vihari’s capability to play long innings and his solid fashion against the new ball can not be overlooked.
Dropping him from the Test team could be a bit harsh, considering his former performances and the fact that he has shown the capability of scoring runs under pressure. Still, India could look at Shubman Gill as an option to club in the middle- order, If Vihari does get dropped. Gill’s emotional performances at the top of the order make him a feasible seeker to club anywhere in the further line- up.
India could also look at the likes of Mayank Agarwal or Prithvi Shaw as a relief for Vihari. It’ll be intriguing to see what the Indian pickers decide to do with Vihari’s Test career, but one thing is for sure – Indian players will have to up their game if they want to contend with the stylish in the world in the forthcoming Test series.
6. Pros and cons of dropping each player
1st Player Ajinkya Rahane – Rahane has plodded with his form in recent Test matches, comprising only 22.4 in the WTC cycle. – Dropping Rahane would signal to the team that poor performances won’t be permitted.
– Rahane has been a reliable batsman for India in Test cricket, especially overseas. – His experience as a former captain could be useful in guiding the team in the future.
2nd Player Ishant Sharma – Sharma’s pace and delicacy have declined in recent times, and he only took 4 lattices in the WTC final. – Dropping Sharma would give the pickers a chance to blood a youthful fast bowler.
– Sharma’s experience and skill in overseas conditions could be precious in forthcoming Test tenures. – His presence in the dressing room as a elderly player is also an asset. 3rd Player Hanuma Vihari – Vihari plodded with the club in the WTC cycle, comprising only 23.2.
Dropping Vihari would allow the team to elect a specialist batsman in his place. – Vihari is a useful lower- order batsman who has saved India in tough situations before. His off- spin bowling could be handy in certain conditions. Overall, the decision to drop any of these Indian players will be a tough bone for the pickers.
They will need to weigh up the pros and cons precisely and consider the team’s unborn plans and forthcoming tenures. still, there are several talented youthful players staying in the bodies who could step up if given the occasion.
7. Possible reserves for the barred players
Still, Ishant Sharma, and Hanuma Vihari do indeed get dropped from the Indian Test team, If AjinkyaRahane. For Rahane, one player that comes to mind is Shreyas Iyer.
The swish right- hander has been making a name for himself in white- ball cricket and has indeed captained Delhi centrals to the IPL final.
He also has experience playing red- ball cricket for India A and has a solid first- class record. Other options include Mayank Agarwal and Prithvi Shaw, both of whom have had recent success in domestic cricket.
For Ishant Sharma, the Indian team could turn to either Mohammed Siraj or Shardul Thakur. Siraj has been emotional in his brief Test career so far, picking up 16 wickets in just 5 matches. Thakur, meanwhile, has been a dependable pantomime for India across all formats and was one of the name players in the WTC final. As for Hanuma Vihari, one implicit relief could be KL Rahul.
The Karnataka batsman has experience opening the further for India in Tests and has shown an capability to score big runs in domestic cricket. Alternatively, the Indian team could consider giving a chance to one of the youngish batsmen similar as Shubman Gill or Priyank Panchal, who have both been in good form in domestic cricket.
Eventually, the decision on who replaces the three Indian players facing rejection will be a delicate bone for the pickers. Still, with the WTC cycle starting again, this could be an occasion to blood some new gifts and make a team that can dominate Test cricket for times to come.
conclusion
The WTC Final loss has left Indian cricket players disappointed and questioning the performance of the team. With three players facing test rejection, it’s clear that the team is looking for a way to address the sins that were exposed in the final.
While the decision to count any of the three players isn’t an easy bone , it may be necessary to strengthen the team. Dropping a elderly player like Ajinkya Rahane could be seen as harsh, but with inconsistent performances in recent times, it might be necessary for the team’s unborn success.
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