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The World Test Championship is all set to begin next year, with 9 Test playing nations getting ready to battle it out over the course of two years for the ultimate prize. The Championship will take place over two years from 2019 to 2021 with each team playing bilateral series against each other – 3 at home and 3 away. The two teams at the top of the league stage will contest in the final.
The teams taking part are: Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Pakistan, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies.
India recently suffered a 4-1 defeat at the hands of England away from home. They have a few problems to fix before the Test Championship begins next year. We could expect them to make a few changes for the tournament from the squad which played in England.
Here is India’s best Test XI for the World Test Championship next year
Openers
Mayank Agarwal
It is high time that the Karnataka batsman is given a chance to play for the Indian side. What more does he need to do in order to get selected?
He has been scoring plenty of runs in the domestic circuit and with the way he has been going, he should have already been in the Indian side by now. With Shikhar Dhawan not performing well enough in Tests, Agarwal could take his place.
KL Rahul
The 24-year-old batsman from Karnataka proved himself in the fifth and final Test against England, scoring 149 runs. He has been growing as a batsman over the past few years and is surely one for the future.
He has a sound technique and is able to score runs at a brisk pace. He is currently a part of India's ODI squad in the Asia Cup but has surprisingly not played a single game yet.
Middle-order
Cheteshwar Pujara
Cheteshwar Pujara is the rock of the Indian batting line-up at no. 3. He has consistently performed well at this position, especially in India.
He performed decently in England as well and we could expect him to play at this position for many years to come.
Virat Kohli (C)
The Indian captain is arguably the best batsman in the world today in all three formats of the game. He was the highest run-getter against England in the recently concluded Test series and the way he batted was just out of this world.
He will continue to bat at no. 4 and lead the Indian side for many years to come.
Ajinkya Rahane
Ajinkya Rahane has had a topsy-turvy last year for the Indian cricket team. His performances have been a little inconsistent but he has stepped up whenever it has mattered most.
He will continue to remain one of India’s go-to batsmen in tough situations, especially abroad.
Wicket-keeper
Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant scored a sensational century in England in the fifth and final Test. He became the first Indian wicketkeeper to do so. However, he needs to improve his wicketkeeping skills big time in order to cement his place in the side. Since he is young, he has a lot of time to do so.
All-rounders
Hardik Pandya
Critics keep questioning Hardik Pandya’s place in the side and he keeps hitting back with his performances on the field.
His ability to contribute equally well with the bat and the ball is a big bonus for Team India. He will be vital for their success in the coming years.
Ravindra Jadeja/Ravichandran Ashwin
With Ravichandran Ashwin’s performances declining over the past couple of years, we could expect Ravindra Jadeja to keep his place in the playing XI, at least for the Tests which take place outside the sub-continent.
However, Ashwin and Jadeja would play together in all the Tests played in the sub-continent given the nature of the pitches.
Bowlers
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
India missed the presence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar in England big time. If he was a part of the squad, we might have seen an even better performance with the ball from India. However, he is back from injury now and will surely be a part of India’s Test set-up from now on.
Mohammed Shami
Shami proved himself in England with his bowling performances. He was able to swing the ball throughout the innings, generating a lot of reverse swing as well towards the latter part of each innings.
His personal life has been drowned in controversies but he has not let this affect his performances on the field.
Jasprit Bumrah
From being a T20 specialist, Jasprit Bumrah has become India’s spearhead bowler in all three formats of the game. His absence was clearly felt in the first two Tests in England. He came back strong in the third Test to help India win and continued to perform well in the 4th and 5th Tests.
He will be extremely vital for India in the coming years.
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