Former cricketers weigh in on Ishan Kishan-KS Bharat debate ahead of WTC final
The World Test Championship final will be played at the Oval.
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Jun 3, 2023 5:27 pm
KS Bharat and Ishan Kishan (Source: Twitter)
As the World Test Championship final draws closer, one thing India has not decided upon is who will don the gloves ahead of the big clash. India has KS Bharat and Ishan Kishan in their squad. KS Bharat played the last Test series against Australia in India. Though he did not have the best run with the bat, he had a good time behind the stumps and kept the spinners at ease. While Kishan is not the safest bet behind the stumps, his solid batting could provide heft to the Indian middle order.
Speaking on the same, various experts have given their opinions on the matter. While most of them have sided with KS Bharat and said that he deserves his due, some others have said that Ishan Kishan should be looked at as a batting option who is decent behind the stumps and could provide a like-for-like replacement in place of Rishabh Pant. The WTC final will be played on June 7 at the Kensington Oval.
It is very difficult to keep wickets in England – Nayan Mongia
“I would play Bharat as a specialist keeper in England because he has done well. One bad match doesn’t make him a bad keeper. He is a specialised keeper; he has been doing well over a period of time. Whatever limited chances he has gotten in the Indian team, he has done reasonably well to retain his place,” Nayan Mongia said as quoted by Sportskeeda.
“Conditions in England… it is one of the most difficult places to keep wicket. The ball wobbles a lot, dips a lot, especially in the first half. You need to get up with the ball, have to watch all 90 overs. I know how hard it is because we played the World Cup and it really thumps your palm and it really hits your gloves,” Mongia added.
Matthew Hayden however had a different trail of thought. “One of the big losses to Indian cricket right now is Rishabh Pant. If I was an Indian selector, I certainly go with the more dynamic wicketkeeper batter Ishan Kishan, he also adds that bit of swagger to the batting lineup and in the fielding unit as well,” Hayden said as a refreshing take on the issue.
