India head coach Ravi Shastri rates ICC World Test Championship (WTC) above all the ICC tournaments. Shastri featured in the Indian side for the 1983 World Cup, along with being a part of the commentary panel in numerous ICC events.
The 59-year-old called Test the toughest format and said the WTC is the 'big daddy of all the World Cups' for him. Team India are facing New Zealand in the WTC final at the Ageas Bowl.
Although Shastri is seeing the WTC final as just another Test match and Team India are going ahead with no pressure, he does know the value of this tournament.
"For me, this is another Test match that has to be played. These things are very exciting from the outside where there is so much importance and so much other extra stuff that's attached to one game and it sort of becomes do-and-die," Shastri told host broadcaster Star Sports.
"It's the 'big daddy of all World Cups'. I've played the 1983 World Cup, commentated on a few of them but this one is the biggest of them all. It's the toughest format, the biggest format, and the job satisfaction is maximum," he added.
Team India named their playing XI a day ahead of the WTC final. But despite the first day being washed off due to rain and change in conditions, the team has continued with the same eleven.
"Unless you would have had another washout today and the game had been reduced to a 2-3 day game, but otherwise with the kind of attack we have, we take the pitch out of the equation. On a day like this, it helps the fast bowlers get help, but when the sun comes out the spinners would come into play," said Shastri.
"Jadeja and Ashwin add that variety and they bowl well in tandem. They have close to 600-700 wickets and complement each other really well. Both teams will feel that way."
It was New Zealand who won the toss at the WTC final and they decided to bowl first. Team India finished the first session on Day 2 with 69/2 in 28 overs. They lost both the openers, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill.
