WTC final: Did India get their playing XI wrong against New Zealand?

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[{"selector":"#anim-e774ef1c-ec48-4e57-9871-80dd313c25da","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 120%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":801,"direction":"normal","duration":902,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.23, 1, 0.32, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7f7f77f0-8f78-4c65-bc8e-1a0aac99bb6b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":900,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"linear","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-255e06f5-75ea-482f-95e7-19a0896515b3","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 27.89946%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-eb427cbd-78d9-4fc9-9ad6-4a847fe7bf6b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 112.41834%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-76928117-457f-4fe3-8dde-2f0ec913f6aa","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 117.80967%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] It was no surprise that queries were being raised over Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s exclusion as India’s fast bowlers failed to deliver the goods in the WTC final. Doesn’t matter that the Bhuvneshwar hasn’t played Test cricket since 2018. Considering what was at stake, it was a risk worth taking. IMAGE CREDITS: GETTY

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[{"selector":"#anim-d7925ff2-acf4-4b43-8e8c-5918b779a194","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 120%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":801,"direction":"normal","duration":902,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.23, 1, 0.32, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-55854243-bf92-48a5-8146-7d3b1d5bade4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":900,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"linear","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-edad179f-0f5b-4a89-a2ce-51ec48208d27","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 27.89946%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8e2b82a8-ea66-494f-8c8e-30c7744f2add","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 112.41834%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-359d9e30-0fb3-4ac0-8f1f-73b5f691d2b8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 117.80967%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Mohammed Siraj or Ishant Sharma? That was the million-dollar question for Team India ahead of the WTC final against New Zealand. India eventually decided to go with the experience of Ishant ahead of Siraj's X-factor, as experience counts for a lot in a big clash like the WTC final. IMAGE CREDITS: GETTY

[{"selector":"#anim-f6004e79-684c-467c-ac15-8e70eb3c3d4a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 120%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":801,"direction":"normal","duration":902,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.23, 1, 0.32, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-be3c888a-1efd-4d7a-bfd6-c183abb0937c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":900,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"linear","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b099cbb1-e305-4328-adef-2b7eb42b028c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 27.89946%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b881133f-73a9-4375-8d5a-082a52aa0c30","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 112.41834%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0661775e-e467-45a7-9c2e-d4492441ba42","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 117.80967%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] In hindsight though, one has to admit that Team India got it wrong with their selection for the WTC final. The pitch and conditions in Southampton were tailor-made for swing bowling. Yet, their only genuine swing bowler in the squad - Mohammed Siraj was not part of the playing XI. IMAGE CREDITS: GETTY

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