India have opted to go with three fast bowlers and one specialist spinner in Ravichandran Ashwin for their World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand, while spin bowling all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja also made the cut.
Seamers Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami were picked ahead of Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Siraj for the one-off match at the Rose Bowl in Southampton which begins on Friday.
Rishabh Pant will keep wickets, keeping Wriddhiman Saha out of the side, while Hanuma Vihari also misses out.
India XI: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami
Meanwhile, the Blackcaps will finalise their line-up at the toss, after considering weather conditions and forecast at the venue.
Rain has plagued the build-up to the match and is expected to affect five of the six days allocated to play.
New Zealand have trimmed their squad to 15 and the main selection dilemma would seem between spinner Ajaz Patel and all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme, with Will Young (batting), Matt Henry (bowling) and Tom Blundell (wicketkeeping) backing up an established starting line-up.
NZ squad: Kane Williamson, Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Devon Conway, Colin de Grandhomme, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling, Will Young
Join us at 9pm Friday for live updates of the World Test Championship final between the Blackcaps and India
