3 Indian players who may be dropped from the Test side post WTC final defeat

India's 209-run loss to Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final has raised quite a few questions about the future of Indian cricket, especially in the longest format.

Quite a few senior players failed to step up and produce the top quality performances that were expected of them in such a massive game. There's a feeling around fans that the Test team has to possibly undergo a rebuild with some names being phased out.

The cricketing heavyweights' next Test series against the West Indies will present an opportunity to reset. It will also kickstart their campaign in the new WTC cycle.

On that note, let's take a look at three Indian players who may be dropped from the XI or even from the squad that travels to the Caribbean next month.

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#3 KS Bharat

Rishabh Pant's horrific car accident had a daunting effect not just on his career but also on India's hopes in the 2021-23 WTC cycle. The southpaw was arguably their best batter in this cycle and his absence meant that they had to find a replacement.

While KS Bharat had Pant's big shoes to fill, he couldn't quite deliver the performances that were expected from him in the five Tests that he has played. He averages just 18.4 with 129 runs to his name.

With Ishan Kishan waiting in the wings and a few wicket keepers doing well in the domestic circuit too, it won't be a surprise if Bharat loses his place in the XI.

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#2 Umesh Yadav

Umesh Yadav's performance in the WTC final summed up his Test career in a nutshell; he can highly impressive and highly disappointing in the same game. The veteran fast bowler couldn't fill the void left by Jasprit Bumrah and was expensive in the first innings when conditions were good for bowling.

Despite being around the national team for a while, Yadav wasn't really able to cement his place in the starting XI and become the spearhead of the pace attack. India have the likes of Mukesh Kumar waiting in the wings and other pacers who have done well in domestic cricket.

It might just be the right time for a transition in the pace bowling department with the experienced Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj still going strong.

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#1 Cheteshwar Pujara

Arguably the most disappointing performance from an Indian point of view in the WTC final came from the experienced Cheteshwar Pujara. The veteran batter had already lost his place in the Test team, but came back with some inspirational performances in County cricket.

Questions have always been raised about India potentially moving on from Pujara. His twin failures in the WTC final and especially the manner in which he was dismissed has only given more cadence to those questions.

One could assume that Pujara will be one of the first names to be left out as a part of the transition phase starting with the series against the West Indies.