Mid-day.com takes a look at five players who can make a big impact for India in the game at Southampton.
India skipper Virat Kohli.
Having last won an ICC trophy eight years ago (2013 Champions Trophy), Team India will be desperate to conquer New Zealand in the ICC World Test Championship final from June 18 to 22. Mid-day.com takes a look at five players who can make a big impact for India in the game at Southampton.
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Virat Kohli
He hasn’t scored a century in Test cricket over the last 12 innings and will be itching to make a big impact at Southampton. The skipper was impressive with the bat in the last series on English soil in 2018, scoring 593 runs in five Tests, including three centuries and two half centuries. The New Zealanders are well aware that Kohli has an ability to score big runs to put them out of the game.
Cheteshwar Pujara
Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara. Pic/AP, PTI
He has not played a defining innings in the last few Test matches, but has been a vital cog in the batting line-up and is capable of bailing the team out of trouble with his patience. The Test specialist, No. 3 batsman frustrated the Australian bowlers with the slowest half-century of his career (196 balls) in the fourth and final match of the series as India went on to create history at the Gabba in Brisbane.
Ravindra Jadeja
All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. Pic/AFP
The all-rounder will be eager to make a strong comeback in international cricket after he had to return home from Australia due to a thumb injury earlier this year. He is a master in all three disciplines of the game and is arguably one of the best all-rounders in India. The left-arm spinner has played a pivotal role for India with the ball, claiming 220 wickets in 51 Tests and is effective with the bat too, scoring 1954 runs.
Jasprit Bumrah
India pacer Jasprit Bumrah. Pic/AFP
Yorker specialist Bumrah was one of the most successful bowlers for India in England during the 2018 Test series (14 wickets in three matches). The pacer with an unorthodox bowling action will be confident of putting up a solid show against New Zealand after impressing one and all by claiming 15 wickets in five Tests including a match-winning 6-110 against Australia at Melbourne last December.
Ishant Sharma
Veteran speedster Ishant Sharma. Pic/Getty Images
Battle-scarred pacer Ishant Sharma was not at his best during the four-match Test series against England (six wickets in four Tests) earlier this year but his Test experience of more than 100 Tests will come in handy during the crucial encounter against New Zealand.
The veteran fast bowler, who missed the first five IPL matches for
Delhi Capitals due to a heel niggle, will look to make a strong comeback in English conditions, where he was his country’s highest wicket-taker (18 wickets in five matches) in 2018.
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