The Indian team ramped up their preparations ahead of the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia next week with a high-intensity fielding practice on Friday. The likes of Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Shardul Thakur, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Yashasvi Jaiswal were seen taking some good reflex catches during the drills.
With two good fielding sides participating in the marquee fixture, it will be interesting to see how many spectacular catches the fans will get to witness. The likes of Kohli, Shubman Gill, Ajinkya Rahane, Steve Smith, Cameron Green, and Marnus Labuschagne are likely to grab the spotlight for their fielding skills.
Notably, the Indian team paid the price for missing a couple of catches during the previous WTC final against New Zealand in Southampton. The Kiwis defeated India comprehensively during a modest 140-run chase to become the inaugural WTC champions. Hence, India will be keen to grab the trophy this time.
Australia admits India's bowling combination for WTC final seems mysterious:
Meanwhile, Australia's spin-bowling coach, Daniel Vettori, on Thursday revealed they have been debating the opposition's combination, given the potent choices in their arsenal. The former New Zealand captain expects The Oval to assist spinners as the game goes on. As quoted by the ICC, he said:
"We have been debating that. I think Jadeja will play because of the batting he brings to the table and how successful he has been at that No.6 position. Then the question will be around that fourth seamer and the all-rounder in Thakur and Ashwin, but they are (both) pretty good choices. We expect The Oval to behave how it always behaves. It is a good wicket, but it can offer a lot to the spinners as the game goes on."
Australia finished as the table-toppers in the 2021-23 WTC cycle.
