LONDON (AP) — India won the toss and opted to field first against Australia without No. 1-ranked test bowler Ravichandran Ashwin in the World Test Championship final on Wednesday.
Overcast conditions and a green-tinged pitch made it a no-brainer for India to go with four fast bowlers and the spin of allrounder Ravindra Jadeja. Ashwin's spin became surplus.
“It is tough to leave Ashwin out,” India captain Rohit Sharma said. “He has been a match-winner for us ... but you have got to do what is best for the team in the given conditions.”
The two seamers beside Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj were confirmed as Shardul Thakur, who will play his first test since the one-off match at Edgbaston last year, and Umesh Yadav, who missed the second half of the Indian Premier League because of a hamstring injury.
India stayed with KS Bharat behind the stumps instead of trying Ishan Kishan, who has some of the x-factor that the absent Rishabh Pant offers but hasn't played a first-class game in England.
Also, middle-order batter Ajinkya Rahane will play his first test since January 2022, ahead of Suryakumar Yadav as the injury replacement for Shreyas Iyer.
Australia was confirmed with David Warner returning as opener, and Travis Head moved back to the middle order.
Warner's broken elbow forced him to miss the last two tests in India in March. His return moved Head down to No. 5. Seamer Scott Boland, in for the injured Josh Hazlewood, will play his first test in England.
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Lineups:
India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj.
Australia: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (captain), Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.
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