Virat Kohli will be desperate to win an ICC title after a long time. (Pic credit: BCCI)
Sunil Gavaskar explains that apart from Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara, all other players in the team were playing T20 cricket for about two months
Batting great Sunil Gavaskar feels that playing red-ball cricket in T20 mode in the World Test Championship final will be a herculean task for the Indian players.
The much-awaited WTC final between India and Australia will be played at The Oval, London from June 7. The 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League concluded on Monday with most of the Indian stars participating.
Gavaskar suggested that both the formats are completely different and it will be a big challenge for the Indian stars.
He said, ‘The biggest test will be that almost everyone will come out of T20 format and Test cricket is a longer format. So, I think it will be a big challenge,” Gavaskar said star sports on Tuesday.
Gavaskar said that apart from Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara, all other players in the team were playing the shortest format as the former was playing county cricket for Sussex.
“They (India) only have Cheteshwar Pujara playing in the English County Championship, so he will be the only one who has played the longer format in these conditions, so it will be a big challenge for them.”
Meanwhile, Ajinkya Rahane will be among the players who have a big role to play for the Indian team in the WTC final. The veteran batsman returned to the Test side after a gap of over a year as he worked hard in domestic cricket and bounced back after his impressive performances in the IPL.
Gavaskar feels Rahane’s experience of playing in English conditions will be crucial for India as he bats at the crucial No.5 position against Australia’s good bowling unit.
He has a lot of experience having played in England and scored runs in England. So, yes, I think he is going to play an important role at No.5. Him.” The cricketer-turned-commentator expressed hope that Rahane would make the most of the opportunity given to him to further his professional career.
“I am hoping that with all the experience he has, he will be able to capitalize on this opportunity and cement his place in the Indian team,” he added.
