Play 2 spinners in WTC final if track suits: Shastri to India team

DUBAI: Former head coach Ravi Shastri said that India should play two spinners against Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at the Oval in London next month, if it is not convinced with the pace-bowling attack.

Shastri felt that the void left by pacer Jasprit Bumrah would hurt India’s chances, saying that the Rohit Sharma-led side can counter it by picking a second spinner. “India did very well in England last time around (2021) because you had Bumrah, you had [Mohammed] Shami, you had Shardul Thakur and you had Mohammed Siraj,” Shastri said in ICC Review.

“So, you had four fast bowlers with one (Shardul) being an all-rounder there. That combination is a very good one in England, especially from India’s point of view. It allows someone like Rohit to control the game far better. At times in England, you need to slow it down as well. And suddenly, it can get overcast,” he explained.

For Shastri, it is important to pick players as per conditions and on current form. “You have got horses for courses, you have got all bases covered. But then, if the quality is not good in your fast-bowling attack… if you think that the guys are older, they are not as quick as they used to be, and that the form is a little doubtful, then you play a second spinner because [Ravichandran] Ashwin is quality, as is [Ravindra] Jadeja. If the track is hard and dry, you would want two spinners to play.”