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Cricket Players'You just can't keep him out, he simply has to play': Kaneria predicts India's 'Most Valuable Player' in WTC final
Danish Kaneria reckons that given what Ravindra Jadeja brings to the table, he could be the game-changer for India in the all-important final of the World Test Championships.
The World Test Championships final is less than two weeks away, and as the clock continues to tick slowly towards June 8, India and New Zealand would be weighing their options for the perfect playing XI for the all-important fixture. India boast a strong 20-member squad which they have landed in England with and as the stage gets set for the Ageas Bowl in Southampton to host the final of the first-ever WTC final, all eyes will be on the Playing XI which coach Ravi Shastri and captain Virat Kohli will field.
As the build-up continues towards the grand ICC event finale, fans and cricket pundits alike can't help but scratch their heads over the composition of the team. Among those is Danish Kaneria, who feels that simply India cannot afford to ignore star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja for the final. Kaneria reckons that given what Jadeja brings to the table, he could be the game-changer for India in the all-important final of the World Test Championships.
"Because I think that bowlers play a very important role, irrespective of what format you're playing. If they're taking wickets, they'll win the match. If we talk about Ravindra Jadeja, he is a triple-dimensional player. He is such a player that you just can't keep him out, he simply has to play," Kaneria said on his YouTube channel.
Jadeja has played five Test matches in England, in which he has grabbed 15 wickets. With the bat he has scored 276 runs including two half-centuries. Surprisingly, during the 2018 Test series, Jadeja played just one Test for India, in which he scored an unbeaten 86, and with the kind of form Jadeja is in currently, Kaneria feels India should certainly include the all-rounder in the Playing XI.
"He will give you key wickets in key intervals. He will give your runs lower down the order, stitch partnerships and will even affect a couple of brilliant run-outs while fielding. So, he is going to be the most valuable player in the final for India," the former leg-spinner added.
