Team India is marching towards the much-awaited World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval. The marquee game will be played from June 7-11, where both the teams will be giving their best to bag the WTC title, which India eventually lost in 2021 to New Zealand. With only four days left for the match, a lot of debate regarding the Playing XI has been going on, especially for the position of the wicketkeeper. As Rishabh Pant has been out of action since December, last year and KL Rahul has also been ruled out, the squad consists of Ishan Kishan and KS Bharat as the wicketkeeping options.
Former India wicketkeeper Nayan Mongia has shown faith in Bharat and stated that the Rohit Sharma-led side should stick him for the WTC final as he is a "specialised keeper".
"I would play Bharat as a specialist keeper in England because he has done well. One bad match doesn't make him a bad keeper. He is a specialised keeper; he has been doing well over a period of time. Whatever limited chances he has gotten in the Indian team, he has done reasonably well to retain his place," Mongia said on Star Sports.
Mongia went on to claim that wicketkeeping in England is a difficult job and explained the challenges one can face during the match.
"Conditions in England… it is one of the most difficult places to keep wicket. The ball wobbles a lot, dips a lot especially in the first half. You need to get up with the ball, have to watch all 90 overs. We are going to play Test cricket with the Dukes ball. It's a little harder compared to the Kookaburra. The seam is upright, so the ball swings a lot," said Mongia.
"I know how hard it is because we played the World Cup and it really thumps your palm and it really hits your gloves. It's an added advantage for bowlers since the ball remains hard for a longer time," he added.
The WTC final will be play at the Oval in London from June 7-11.