Hanuma Vihari or Ravindra Jadeja? Colin de Grandhomme or Ajaz Patel?
The selection puzzles that await India and New Zealand ahead of the World Test Championship final
India
Since the Melbourne Test, India have been playing just five specialist batters. Those five, when all are fit and available, have picked themselves: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane.
Mohammed Siraj was the best fast bowler for India in Australia. Speed and movement, with both the old and the new ball, come easy to him, and he can bowl long spells. On India A's shadow tour of England in 2018, Siraj took 15 wickets in two Tests against the England Lions and West Indies A at an average of 17.73, including three 4-fors. Siraj has done everything he can to push the team management for a place in the XI. However, only three specialist fast bowlers might play, and the first three are pretty hard to dislodge.
New Zealand
New Zealand played two Test matches in England earlier this month, so they have fewer dilemmas around their combination. Devon Conway has grabbed the vacant opening slot, Ross Taylor had a score, and Kane Williamson and BJ Watling are likely to be fit again.
With five batters, the wicketkeeper and four quick bowlers locked in, New Zealand only have to debate between a spinner in Ajaz Patel, which rounds up their attack should the Southampton track behave true to nature, and Colin de Grandhomme, who makes their batting order formidable and denies the opposition any breathing space should the conditions favour seamers heavily. If Patel plays, New Zealand will have Kyle Jamieson at No. 7; if de Grandhomme plays, they will be without a frontline spinner, a move their opponents England regretted only last week.