India and Australia will square off in the WTC final at The Oval from June 7 to 11.
Ahead of the marquee clash, Australian legend Ricky Ponting revealed the X-factor selection he would make in India’s XI to dominate the WTC final.
Ponting has called for a wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan to be handed a red-ball debut. The southpaw has impressed one and all with his exploits in white-ball cricket so far, but he is yet to play a Test.
The highlight of Ishan’s career so far has been his dazzling double century (210 off 131 balls) in an ODI match against Bangladesh last December.
“I’d pick Ishan Kishan,” Ponting told The ICC Review. “If you want to be crowned the world champion, you have to win the game. Hence why there is a sixth day that has been added to try and give both teams the best chance of a result.
“I'd be going with Ishan Kishan if I was them in this game. I think it just provides that little bit of X-factor that you might need when pushing for a win in a Test match.”
With Rishabh Pant unavailable due to a horrific car accident, KS Bharat performed the keeping duties for India against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year.
“Obviously if Rishabh Pant is fit, he's playing and he provides that X-factor for India,” Ponting said.
“But with him not being there, and this is no blight on Bharat whatsoever, but I think Kishan just provides that little bit more X-factor.
“(Kishan) will do a good job with the gloves, but can provide that really high-scoring run rate that might be required in a one-off Test match to try and push for a win.”
While Hardik Pandya isn’t a part of India’s WTC final squad, Ponting believes the all-rounder could have been valuable for the one-off Test match.
“The other really interesting thing that I thought about the other day for India in this game is how valuable someone like Hardik Pandya could be in a one-off Test match,” Ponting said.
“I know he is on record saying that the Test match game is probably a little bit hard on his body. But for a one-off game... he's been bowling every game through this IPL and he's bowling quick.
“He could be that X-factor there just to pick in a one-off game, come in and see what he can do with bat and ball. He could be the difference between the two teams.”
(With ICC Inputs)