IND vs AUS: Ponting names Australia's playing XI for WTC final, makes surprise inclusion

Former Australia men's cricket team captain Ricky Ponting has predicted the Australian playing XI for the upcoming World Test Championship final against India. One of the most unforeseen picks in Ponting's list is fast-bowler Scott Boland, whom the three-time World Cup-winning star preferred to have ahead of Josh Hazlewood. Ponting cited Boland's recent performances at County Cricket in England as the reason for his inclusion.

"Boland's record when he's played over the last 12 months has been absolutely outstanding. He's one that would really, potentially thrive in these English conditions. We’ve seen what he's been able to do in Australia when there has been a bit of assistance off the wicket there and with the ball. So I think he'll get the nod ahead of Neser," Ponting said on The ICC Review. 

"He will be a terrific bowler in English conditions. We have already seen that in County cricket. He's perfectly suited to those conditions. He was probably a little bit unlucky not to be named in this squad right from the start, and certainly even in the Ashes squad, right from the start, just with the conditions. Neser has just come off some wickets. He got a very good hundred as well in the second innings of that last County game that they played," he added. 

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Ponting, who has also been an assistant coach of the Australian team, said the style of skill set Boland possesses is very well suited to the English conditions, adding that he is also that no-fuss kind of guy. 

"He's one of those no-fuss sorts of guys that is a very skillful player, and the skill set that he has is actually very well suited to England," Ponting concluded. 

Ponting's Predicted Australia Playing XI 

David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (vc), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland

Australia's squad for the WTC final 

Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, David Warner

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The World Test Championship final is slated to take place from June 7 to 11. The match will take place at England’s Oval Stadium, and both India and Australia will aim to win their maiden WTC trophy. It is only the second edition of the coveted red-ball tournament, the first being played in the 2019-2021 cycle. India and New Zealand played the final of the inaugural edition, with the latter emerging victorious by eight wickets. 

India's squad for the WTC final

Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Ishan Kishan (wk)

Image: AP