'Leave out Ashwin and play four pacers' - Dinesh Karthik recommends India's ideal bowling lineup for WTC final

The stage for the ultimate clash is set as India will clash with Australia in the ICC World Test Championship Final (WTC) 2023 from June 7, at the Kennington Oval, in London. Given that the final's playing conditions are predicted to be more pacer-friendly, there has been plenty of debate around India's playing XI. It is still unclear whether skipper Rohit Sharma will favour the spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin.

In the same vein, the veteran wicketkeeper-batter, Dinesh Karthik, came forward to put forth his views regarding India's apt bowling combination for the WTC final. He feels that Ravichandran Ashwin should be left out of the starting lineup for the mega event against Australia. Pointing out his recent observations, Karthik adviced the team management to go ahead with four seamers.

Furthermore, he name-dropped Umesh Yadav and opined that he will be the crucial third bowler for India in the starting XI, along with Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami. Interestingly enough, he did not shy away from clarifying that while he liked watching bowling in the Ashwin in the Southampton Test against England a year ago, Umesh has looked on song and ready physically during the ongoing net sessions. Hence, the 38-year-old believes that India will prefer Umesh over Ashwin.

"Leave out Ashwin and play four pacers. I enjoyed Ashwin bowling in Southampton, but is the coach gonna do the same thing again? I doubt it. Umesh Yadav has bowled well in the nets. He is looking sharp, and feeling good body-wise. I have a strong feeling they’ll go with Umesh," Karthik told on Cricbuzz.

Dinesh Karthik backs Virat Kohli to continue his recent sublime form with the bat

When it comes to talking about the bowling combination and the playing XI, it is quite natural that the veteran keeper will not miss out on sharing his views about India's batting stars. As a result, it is hard to imagine the name Virat Kohli does not pop up in anyone's mind. Notably, Kohli has been in sublime touch of late and gave us many batting masterclasses during the recently concluded India Premier League (IPL). He scored two back-to-back centuries against Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

During his phenomenal run, Virat Kohli amassed 639 runs in the cash-rich league. Hence, Dinesh Karthik backs him to come good against Australia in the WTC final. Besides, Karthik also opined that India's Test batting mainstay, Cheteshwar Pujara, will be the key to India's success in the mega show.

"He [Virat Kohli] batted well right from the start. In the first game, he got a 70 against Mumbai Indians. He was looking top-notch, and right at the back end of the IPL. He showed his class. The two hundreds that he got is phenomenal. He is batting brilliantly and I am very sure he’ll have a good score. For me the key for India to do well in the WTC final and if they wanna cross the line, it’s gonna be Cheteshwar Pujara," Karthik added.

Notably, Pujara has been in good knick as well in his county stint with Sussex. He was also bestowed with the captaincy mantle to lead the coveted county in Division Two of the County Championship. The Gujarat-born veteran batter led his team from the front and played some scintillating knocks for his team. Hence, he is the most able batter who would have adapted to English conditions during his valuable county experience.