WTC Final: R Ashwin Replaces Ravindra Jadeja in England Legend's Combined India-Australia XI

The two finalists of the ICC World Test Championship 2021-23 are gearing up for the final clash of the cycle with India and Australia set to square off at The Oval in London from June 7. The top-two teams of the WTC standings feature some of the finest red-ball cricketers to have played the game.

After Ravi Shastri and Ricky Ponting, former England captain Nasser Hussain has also revealed his combined India-Australia playing XI with one major change.

Both Shastri and Ponting picked an identical XI but Hussain has made a couple of changes in his team including offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin ahead of the left-arm spin of Ravindra Jadeja.

Hussain explains the conditions have dictated his choice. “If the World Test Championship Final was in the subcontinent or India, I might go Jadeja at six. But I’m not, because it’s in England,” Hussain told The ICC Review.

As was the case with Shastri and Ponting, the Englishman has also picked Rohit Sharma as his captain ahead of his Australian counterpart Pat Cummins.

“Rohit Sharma, very easy, top of the order and captain for me. I love the way Rohit captains. I’d like to have Shubman (Gill) in but I think it’s just a little bit early for him to break into my combined XI, so I’m going to go with Usman Khawaja to open the batting,” he said.

“Then into the very easy bit, three of the all-time world greats in (Marnus) Labuschagne, (Steve) Smith and (Virat) Kohli come in at three, four, five,” he added.

With Ashwin coming in as the offie, Nathan Lyon hasn’t found a place in Nasser’s XI as well with allrounder Cameron Green getting the nod.

“I’m going to go for a bowling allrounder, seam-bowler in Cameron Green. That’s who I want as my allrounder. My spin bowler would be Ravi Ashwin at eight. And he bats, obviously, very good at No.8,” Nasser said.

“(Pat) Cummins at nine, easy choice. (Mitchell) Starc at 10 to give me that left-arm variation. Mohammed Shami, just so that we can have so many replays of his seam position going down. I would have obviously Jasprit (Bumrah) in there if he wasn’t injured, but he is so I’m having Shami at 11,” he added.

Nasser Hussain’s combined India-Australia Test XI: Rohit Sharma (captain), Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Virat Kohli, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Mohammad Shami.