India are set to face Australia in the final of the World Cup 2023 in Ahmedabad on Sunday, 19 November. India stand the chance of winning the tournament undefeated and if they manage to do so, they will only be the third team in the history of the tournament to achieve this feat after West Indies (1975, 1979) and Australia (2003, 2007).
With the game set to play at the Narendra Modi Stadium, speculations have begun about the combination that India might use in the final. While India head coach Rahul Dravid has stuck to his winning combination from the New Zealand match, it is possible that India might tactically make a change if the Ahmedabad track shows signs of favouring the spin bowlers.
In India’s World Cup 2023 opener against Australia in Chennai, India opted to play Ravichandran Ashwin. Ashwin bowled full 10 overs against the Pat Cummins side and registered figures of 10-1-34-1.
Could Ashwin play in the World Cup 2023 Final as well? Former India player and 1983 World Cup winner Madan Lal believes that Ashwin might have an outside chance of playing the final in case the pitch supports turn.
“Ravichandran Ashwin’s selection will depend on the conditions of the pitch. But I do not think that India will opt to change the winning combination in the final against Australia,” Madan Lal said while speaking on Aajtak.
“Australia did not look comfortable at all playing Tabraiz Shamsi and they will not be comfortable playing Kuldeep Yadav either and I believe that you will get a great track to bat on in Ahmedabad,” the former India player further added.
Speaking on the same panel, legendary India batter Sunil Gavaskar countered Madan Lal’s opinion and said that it was unlikely that Ashwin could get a chance to play, because India would then have to bench Mohammed Siraj, one of India’s best bowlers in recent times.
India have played one match in the Narendra Modi Stadium in this World Cup 2023 campaign, where they hammered Pakistan. In that game, Pakistan found it difficult to play shots against Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav and were bowled out for just 191 runs in 42.5 overs. Jasprit Bumrah was named the player of the match in that game for his sensational spell of 7-1-19-2.