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With just a couple of days left for the World Test Championship (WTC) final, Team India is gearing up for the mega battle against New Zealand in Southampton.
On Tuesday, both India and the Black Caps confirmed their respective 15-member squads for the WTC final. India left out opener Mayank Agarwal among others, while Mitchell Santner was a major omission from the Kiwi camp, with Ajaz Patel getting the nod.
Ahead of the WTC final, various Indian cricketers have been sharing glimpses of their preparations from Southampton on their social media accounts.
While opener Rohit Sharma shared a serious-looking image, posing with his bat in hand, Mohammed Shami posted a video of his intense training session from the gym.
Middle-order batsman Hanuma Vihari also shared a picture, looking completely focused during batting practice. Agarwal, who was unfortunate to miss out on a spot in the WTC final, also uploaded photos with the caption ‘preparations done’.
On Monday, Team India’s Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane had posted a video on Instagram in which he was seen working on his batting in the nets. Rahane shared the video with the caption:
“Getting the basics right ahead of the game.”
Pace bowler Ishant Sharma posted an image of himself during bowling practice and wrote:
“Mindset is everything.”
Team India all set for WTC final
Here is a compilation of social media posts shared by Team India members ahead of the WTC final.
Earlier in the day, the BCCI also uploaded a video of Team India’s practice session ahead of the WTC final. In the clip, Indian captain Virat Kohli is seen losing his balance and falling to the ground while trying to dodge a bouncer.
Team India’s squad for the WTC final
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday named the 15-member squad for the WTC final against the Black Caps in Southampton.
Apart from Agarwal, left-arm spinner Axar Patel, batsman KL Rahul, all-rounder Shardul Thakur and off-spinner Washington Sundar have been left out from the squad.
With Agarwal not chosen, Shubman Gill is set to open the batting with Rohit Sharma in the WTC final. There is likely to be a tussle between Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Siraj for the third seamer’s slot.
And while Hanuma Vihari, Umesh Yadav and Wriddhiman Saha are part of the 15, they are unlikely to feature in the WTC final playing XI.
India’s squad for WTC final: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (captain), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Wriddhiman Saha
