ONE STEP AWAY
India needs at least a draw to qualify for the WTC final
AHMEDABAD: India will not take its foot off the pedal while meeting England for another “spin ride” in the Test series finale starting Thursday, aiming to not only complete another dominant home performance but also realise its World Test Championship (WTC) dreams.
Virat Kohli’s men need at least a draw here to maintain the current 2-1 scoreline and qualify for the Lord’s final against New Zealand. England at best can heal Tim Paine’s scars by letting Australia a lucky passage to the summit clash with a win.
During the pink ball Test, India laid a venomous trap on the refurbished Motera Stadium and demolished the clueless visitor inside two days.
Left-arm spinner
Axar Patel bowled straight and England had its head spinning from the start. In the buildup, Ajinkya Rahane and England skipper Joe Root felt that the track for the fourth Test looks similar to what they got in the previous game. But, a better contest is expected as the red ball is back.
Despite being India’s most prolific Test captain, Kohli is yet to taste success in ICC events. And so, he would be itching to achieve the goal of qualifying for the WTC final. On a spinning surface, the India skipper will once again turn to Axar and offie Ravichandran Ashwin, who have a combined 42 wickets this series.
As far as fast bowling is concerned, the returning Umesh Yadav is expected to replace Jasprit Bumrah in the line-up, with Ishant Sharma or Mohammed Siraj partnering him. While India’s bowling has been top notch, its batting has left a lot to be desired.
Apart from opener Rohit Sharma, who has accumulated 296 runs in three matches, none of the other India batters have felt too comfortable. Kohli, despite two fifties, hasn’t had the best of times while Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara and Shubman Gill have all had only one innings of note. In a crunch game, skipper Kohli would expect the batting department to click as a unit since a failure could punish it.
Poor team selection has contributed to England’s downfall and Root would hope to correct that mistake.