Sarandeep Singh backs Shardul Thakur to make it to India’s playing XI in WTC final against New Zealand

New Zealand are warming up nicely for the upcoming ICC World Test Championship Final (WTC) by playing a two-match Test series in England. On the other hand, their opponents for the marquee clash India reached the United Kingdom on June 3 and are undergoing quarantine in Southampton.

Many experts feel the Blackcaps have the advantage considering they will be a more match-ready battle rather than India who won’t be playing any practice games either.

Former selector Sarandeep Singh has shared his views on the same and felt the Indian team should at least got a three-day practice game ahead of such a big finale.

He also felt the players might be rusty since they last played a Test in March. Sarandeep sounded a bit worried that the Kiwis might just edge ahead in this aspect, due to their sufficient game time.

“The International Cricket Council should’ve arranged a three-day practice match for the Indian team to help them prepare for the WTC final. If the countries aren’t free, it could’ve persuaded the English Cricket Board (ECB) to arrange a second for a second XI of same county.

“While New Zealand would come into the match on the back of a two-Test series against hosts England, India would be left without match practice despite facing completely different conditions than what they encounter at home. Clearly, Kiwis would have an edge, when it should be a case of equal opportunity for both the teams,” Sarandeep told, as reported by Cricketnext.

He is a genuine swing bowler: Sarandeep Singh

Sarandeep also spoke about India’s makeup for the final of WTC and stated that if the pitch offers genuine swing, then Shardul Thakur should be the preferred candidate due to his ability to swing the ball. Moreover, the veteran mentioned that Shardul’s skills with the bat are better than the other pace bowlers in the squad.

“If the conditions are overcast, seamer-friendly, and windy, with the pitch offering a green cover, as it is most likely going to be, I would prefer to play Shardul any day. He is a genuine swing bowler. Moreover, he adds depth to our batting, which is critical.

“We saw how his half-century (67) and that seventh-wicket partnership of 123 with Washington Sunder helped us win the deciding Test at Brisbane in Australia. If an allrounder like him is not around, your tail will start after No 6, which is very risky.”