Team India received a significant blow just 24 hours before the highly anticipated World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia. Indian captain Rohit Sharma suffered a worrisome injury to his left thumb during a net session, causing concern among the team management. With the commencement of the crucial match drawing near, the injury raises questions about Sharma’s availability and its potential impact on India’s chances in the tournament. This development further compounds India’s existing injury concerns, as they are already missing key players due to various injuries.
During a practice session in preparation for the WTC final, Indian opener Rohit Sharma was struck on his left thumb while batting in the nets. The incident required immediate attention from the team physiotherapist. Although Sharma briefly resumed his batting after being attended to, he eventually decided to discontinue and engaged in a conversation with head coach Rahul Dravid before leaving the session. The severity of the injury remains undisclosed as no official statement has been released thus far.
While several key batsmen, including Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill, chose to skip the optional practice session, Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Umesh Yadav took part and had their turn in the nets. Notably, Ashwin focused primarily on his batting during the final practice session, suggesting that the team management is exploring all available options to counter any potential batting setbacks.
Team India has been grappling with a series of injuries leading up to the much-anticipated WTC final. Already missing the services of fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant, top-order batsman KL Rahul, and middle-order batsman Shreyas Iyer due to respective injuries, the team cannot afford any further setbacks. The absence of these key players has significantly impacted the team’s composition and depth, making the situation even more challenging for the Men in Blue.
The World Test Championship final is scheduled to commence on Wednesday at The Oval, London. This highly anticipated clash between India and Australia will determine the ultimate champion of Test cricket. Both teams have displayed exceptional skills and consistency throughout the championship, making it a closely contested battle for supremacy. However, the injury concerns hovering over Team India cast a shadow of uncertainty over their chances of clinching their first ICC trophy since 2013.
Team India Squad for the WTC Final:
The Indian squad for the WTC final comprises some of the finest talents in the game. Led by Rohit Sharma, the team consists of Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, and Ishan Kishan.
Standby Players –
In addition to the primary squad, Team India has also selected standby players who could step in if necessary. Yashaswi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, and Mukesh Kumar are the players on standby, prepared to contribute to the team’s cause if called upon.