Both Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja should play in the World Test Championship Final: MSK Prasad

With the ICC World Test Championship final coming closer with each passing day, India and New Zealand camps would be busy in making strategies, identifying the best combination and other preparations. The summit clash gets underway on June 18 at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. Team India has travelled to England with a strong squad of 20 players, and selecting 11 players for the ultimate battle won’t be easy for skipper Virat Kohli and the team management.

Their biggest selection dilemma would be choosing between Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Both these spin-bowling all-rounders have been magnificent for India in red-ball cricket, and keeping either of them on benches would be a harsh call. However, many fans and experts opined that India should field both of them owing to their three-dimensional skills. Former India chief selector MSK Prasad is also on the same page on this matter.

In an interaction with Cricket.com, Prasad opined that both Ashwin and Jadeja should play the WTC final as seam-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya isn’t a part of the squad. The former Indian wicketkeeper also highlighted that Jadeja’s emergence as a dependable batsman and Ashwin’s stellar form would provide India with the required balance.

It will be a big blunder if we even think of dropping Ravi Ashwin: MSK Prasad

“I firmly believe that both spinners should play. If Hardik Pandya was available and conditions were helpful then I would have said go with it (just one spinner) otherwise you should start treating Jadeja as a batsman because he has been getting runs across formats. He is a complete package,” said MSK Prasad.

“It will be a big blunder if we even think of dropping Ashwin from the playing XI. I know that conditions are going to be different but the kind of experience he has, with the kind of form he is in, all the five bowlers should play,” he added.

Meanwhile, Team India had landed in England on June 3 and is serving a 10-day quarantine period. Hence, they won’t get much time to get in the groove. On the contrary, New Zealand are playing hosts England in a two-match Test series. Hence, they have an ideal chance of getting familiar with the conditions and identifying their best playing XI.