It’s time for Test cricket, the purest version of the game, after an exciting and stressful season of the IPL. The eagerly anticipated ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final is about to begin. From June 7 to 11, India and Australia will square off in London’s Kennington Oval for the longest format’s most prized trophy.

Team India hasn’t won an ICC title since 2013, and they’re hoping to break their long trophy drought this year. Last time, they lost to New Zealand in the 2021 World Cup final.

In addition to Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Mohammad Shami, the team will be captained by Rohit Sharma but will be without several of the regulars. The prominent athletes who are still sidelined because of injury are KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, and Rishab Pant.

While the gaps left by Rahul and Bumrah are by no means tiny, Pant’s absence has threatened the side’s balance. There are a lot of analysts that disagree on whether KS Bharath or Ishan Kishan should be chosen as the wicketkeeper.

Ricky Ponting, a former Australian legend, stated that he would have chosen Kishan for the WTC championship match. Ponting stated the 24-year-old gives the side an “x-factor” in a recent episode of the ICC Review podcast.

Ponting declared, “In this game, I’d be supporting Ishan Kishan. “He offers that tiny bit of X-factor you might need when you’re trying to win a Test match. Although the absence of Rishabh Pant is not in any way a reflection negatively on Bharat, I believe Kishan just adds a little bit more X-factor.

But contrary to popular assumption, Kishan shouldn’t be a part of India’s starting lineup for the WTC championship game. Here are three causes:

Why Ishan Kishan should not be selected for the Indian team’s starting lineup in the World Tennis Championship final?

1 Wicketkeeping issues

Ishan Kishan’s wicketkeeping may prevent him from competing because it has received considerable criticism, even in the IPL. A missed opportunity or additional run given up by the wicketkeeper in the championship game could alter the outcome of the match.

If he plays, his ability to communicate with the slip cordon will also be a deciding factor in whether he should attempt a particular catch or allow the ball to fall to the slip fielders.

2 Issues against moving ball

In white-ball cricket, fast bowlers always have a strategy against Kishan that involves either cramping him for space as they approach the wicket or bowling him three-quarter-length and good-length deliveries as they move away from him.

The movement will be larger than that of a white Kookaburra ball with “Red Dukes,” however, and his vulnerability will be more obvious in every scenario in the WTC final.

3 Inexperience

Ishan Kishan has played for India in 14 ODIs and 27 T20 Internationals, however, he has not yet played in a Test Match. Giving a novice his first start in a crucial game might go wrong and cost India the title.

He has batted outside of the subcontinent five times in his white-ball career alone, and each time he has had a middling run.

KS Bharath, who is vying for the same position, hasn’t yet participated in a Test in England but was a part of the four home matches against Australia earlier this year. Additionally, he has expertise playing in these circumstances for India-A games.

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