India and New Zealand will face each other in the World Test Championship final starting on June 18, 2021. Both the teams have exceptional players all around the pitch, and we look to make a combined Test XI of both the teams. This will help find out the key players from both teams.
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- Rohit Sharma (India)
Rohit Sharma has been in terrific form across India’s best opener across all formats throughout the World Test Championship. He made his debut as an opener against South Africa and has not looked back since. He was dominant in the recently concluded India and England test series which India won comfortably. He has made significant strides as an opener in tests over the past two years. Such performances have made sure that he opens the batting for India.
2) Tom Latham
Tom Latham, the left-handed batsman for New Zealand, is the second opener of our playing XI. He has been consistently performing and showing his capabilities at the top of the order. He knows how to deal with pressure situations and when to take the attack on the opposition. He has been one of the best players for the New Zealand team and has been scoring runs for fun throughout the test championship. He has even led the Team in the absence of Kane Williamson and Tim Southee and showed his capabilities as a leader in that game.
3) Kane Williamson
It wasn’t even a doubt who would start at the coveted number three spot in this mega line-up. Kane has been the best batsman out of the Fab 4 and has dominated bowling conditions. He has been scoring hundreds and double hundreds on grounds where teams find it difficult to reach even the figure of two fifty runs. It has been the performances by Kane and his batting company that have led them to the World Test Championship final. He has been a great leader for New Zealand, and they would be hoping that Captain Cool Kane can deliver their first world title ever in their cricket history.
4) Virat Kohli
From one team captain to another, not including Virat Kohli in this line-up would have been something that can’t even happen by accident. The name justifies the tag enough, and his numbers across all formats and not even tests signify his importance to cricket and not only his country India. He is a counterpart of Kane Williamson’s captaincy style and likes to celebrate a wicket more than his bowlers do. He knows how to give aggression to the opposition and in the proper manner. He is a gun fielder and, when relied upon, makes the most challenging catches look so simple.
5) Cheteshwar Pujara
You might be wondering why Pujara is playing at this number in comparison to the number three spot he holds for the Indian Team. It is because he is just irreplaceable from any test line-up. He is known as Dravid’s successor, and he has been doing the job for India in almost all the test series he has played up until now. He is India’s go-to man whenever India is in a dire situation and will be a crucial member this time around. His play style can be seen only once per generation, and if wanted, he can bat all five days in a test match. He has batted in one test match where he had to come out and bat on all five days. This feat has only been done once in this 21st century.
6) Ross Taylor
Ross Taylor has been the New Zealand mainstay for quite a few years, and he still hasn’t given up on his dream of winning an ICC trophy, coming close in the 2015 and 2019 World Cups. He is one of the batsmen who can be relied upon for his country, no matter what the conditions, no matter the ground, and no matter what the situation is, he will deliver if his country needs him. He is at a very crucial stage of his career and would be looking to retire in a couple of years, but it remains to be seen if his dream comes true or not.
7) Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant will be the wicketkeeper for this combined line-up of both teams. Although, he is pretty young and has a long way to go. But at the same time, he has experienced many test cricket, and his batting style can be pretty crucial to the country when required. The only way he knows to deal with any situation is by clearing the boundary rope and giving the pressure back on the bowlers. His wicket-keeping has undoubtedly improved over the years and is the likely successor to the great MS Dhoni.
8) Ravindra Jadeja
The only all-rounder that this Team will consist of will be the left arm off-spinner, Ravindra Jadeja. He has undoubtedly made a revival of his career and has been India’s best all-rounder over the past two to three years. He was considered a bowling all-rounder, but his performances in the last few years have proved why he is the best that India has. He has been the best spinner economically as well as in the form of taking wickets. There is absolutely no reason as to why he shouldn’t be selected for the Team.
9) Neil Wagner
Starting with the pace battery of this Team, Neil Wagner is the kind of person who needs to be the leader of your Team’s pace attack. He is any captain’s dream as he can deliver spells of seven to eight overs continuously and take wickets of critical players during essential sessions. He bowls astonishingly high bouncers, which can tremendously trouble a lot of batters.
10) Trent Boult
The fast left-arm bowler is one of the best with the new ball in hand. He has been giving heart attacks to Indian fans once when he took the three crucial wickets of the Team in the 2019 World Cup semi-final. He has been a great bowler for the kiwis, and he can demolish the batting line-up in his short spells. His inswinging yorkers have been his most significant asset, and he would be looking to trouble the Indian Team once again with those balls.
11) Jasprit Bumrah
Mumbai Indian fans would be happy to see Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult in the same line-up. Bumrah has been the revelation and the find of the decade for the Indian Team and has been known for delivering when nobody else can. He also has a killer instinct to help the Indian Team win the World Test Championship this year. They will rely on Bumrah as usual with both the new as well as the old ball.
This is the combined Starting XI that we could think of. Any changes that can be made to this Team are pretty debatable, and if this line-up plays any game, they will have the capability of beating any side in the world.
