Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Mohammed Siraj? Dilip Vengsarkar picks India’s game-changer for the WTC final

From the past few years, Team India has shown ultimate consistency and has proved why they are currently one of the best sides in the world. Especially in Test cricket, Virat Kohli and Co. has completely dominated the oppositions and accomplished huge achievements.

No wonder India is currently the number one ranked side in the longest format and one of the finalists in the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final. One of the major reasons behind India’s remarkable show in red-ball cricket is the performance shown by the young brigade.

The likes of Mohammed Siraj, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, etc., have played a huge role in helping India qualify for the WTC final. The epic series wins versus Australia and England in the recent past is the prime example of how brilliantly the youngsters of Team India have performed.

And that is the reason why many fans and experts of the fascinating game believes that the Kohli-led side will perform well in the WTC summit clash against New Zealand, which will take place at The Rose Bowl in Southampton.

Ahead of the epic battle, former Indian cricketer, Dilip Vengsarkar has laid out his views on India’s chances of winning the WTC final. While expressing his thoughts on the main event, Vengsarkar reckoned that wicketkeeper Pant could well be India’s game-changer.

In a chat with Cricketnext, the former chief selector asserted that the role of wicketkeeper-batsman has evolved with time. He believed the current time expects keepers to not only keep wickets but also prove their dexterity with the bat.

“You cannot have a fixed idea about certain things. The wicketkeeper is in a very important position in the team. Besides effecting stumpings and run-outs, if he is batting well, why not? If you have someone like Rishabh Pant, who can change the complexion of the match with his batting also, that is a huge advantage for the Indian team,” said the 65-year-old.

“You cannot have a fixed mind and say wicket-keeping comes first. If you are improving as a wicketkeeper, why not? Same thing happened with Mahendra Singh Dhoni. He kept improving,” Vengsarkar added.

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