Cricket Australia has announced its squad for the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC), featuring three Indian players.
Notably, Pakistan’s Babar Azam has been picked in place of star Indian batsman Virat Kohli, while young talent Shubman Gill has missed out.
Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja completed the team’s spin options, while Rishabh Pant was picked as the wicketkeeper thanks to his impressive performances against Australia.
Although Pant is currently out of action due to injury, both Jadeja and Ashwin remain favorites for the Indian team in the WTC final against Australia at the Oval.
The team’s opening partnership consisted of Usman Khawaja and Sri Lanka’s Dimuth Karunaratne, with Babar Azam batting at number three.
Babar’s exceptional record of scoring over 1,500 runs in 14 matches between 2021 and 2023 gave him an edge over other contenders.
Meanwhile, Joe Root, the tournament’s top run-scorer with 1,915 runs in 22 matches, secured the spot at number four, followed by explosive Australian batsman Travis Head, whose aggressive style added variety to their line-up.
The team was complemented by the trio of Pant, Jadeja and Ashwin, who served as wicket-keeper and spin-bowling options respectively. In the fast bowling department, Pat Cummins was introduced as the captain along with experienced campaigner James Anderson from England and Kagiso Rabada from South Africa.
Cricket Australia’s WTC Team of the Tournament is made up of a star-studded line-up that recognizes the outstanding performances of players from various nations throughout the tournament.