India failed to cross the final hurdle in the World Test Championship for the second time in a row as they lost to Australia at the Kia Oval on Sunday (June 11).

India’s World Test Championship campaign in the 2021-2023 cycle was not as smooth as their 2019-2021 campaign. In the inaugural edition, they finished top of the table and were favourites to win the title before New Zealand outplayed them in the final. However, this time around, they had to fight it out and were in with a realistic chance of finishing outside the top two before the final month of fixtures.

A series win in Border-Gavaskar Trophy and some results going in their favour elsewhere meant that India finished second in the table and contest the final against Australia.

Over the course of the 19 matches that India played in this WTC cycle, they used 25 players. Let’s see which of them still fits in the puzzle of the India Test team for the upcoming 2023-2025 cycle.

Stick

Rohit Sharma didn’t start the WTC cycle as India’s captain, however, he finished it as the man in charge. He was also one of India’s best batters in this period, scoring 758 runs at an average of 42.11. Only one other India batter scored more runs than him at a better average in this WTC cycle – Rishabh Pant.

Virat Kohli finished the tournament as India’s highest run-scorer, but his average of 32.13 left a lot to be desired. On the positive side though, he has recently shown that he is returning close to his best after three quiet years.

Rishabh Pant was India’s best batter in this WTC cycle, with 868 runs at an average of 43.4, including several counter-attacking knocks after the top order collapsed early. He will be one of India’s most important players once he’s back, and might even have leadership duties waiting for him in the future.

Shreyas Iyer made his debut in this WTC cycle against New Zealand in 2021 and has done well with whatever chances he has got, although most of them have been in India. He would have been India’s first-choice No.5 for the WTC Final were it not for injury.

Shubman Gill scored 507 runs at an average of 33.8 in this WTC. However, 2023 has been the coming-of-age year for Gill in all formats. He is going to be the face of Indian cricket, including the Test team, going forward.

Ravindra Jadeja‘s value as a proper all-rounder has been immense. He has taken wickets and scored runs all around the globe and is going to be one of the first names in India’s team sheet for as long as he is fit and available.

Ravichandran Ashwin is arguably the best off-spinner in the world and the highest wicket-taker in Tests among current India players. However, at 36 years of age, he is not getting any younger and India need to play him and get as much out of him as possible.

Axar Patel has established himself as India’s third-spinner after Jadeja and Ashwin for home conditions, and as a potential backup to them in case they are injured. His crucial contributions with the bat against Australia earlier this year also showed that he is getting closer and closer to becoming a proper all-rounder.

Jasprit Bumrah is the best fast bowler that India have at their disposal. They’ll be hoping that he gets back to full fitness and is able to play Test matches soon.

Mohammed Shami was the leader of India’s seam bowling attack in the absence of Bumrah. He took 45 wickets at an average of 28.28 in this WTC cycle. While he is on the wrong side of 30, he is still pretty good at what he does, and India don’t have a whole lot of experienced options in this department either.

Mohammed Siraj has blown hot and cold, having taken 36 wickets at an average of 33.52 in this cycle of the WTC. India will hope for more consistent returns from him going forward.

Shardul Thakur has been used for overseas Test matches as the seam bowling all-rounder. While his place has been hotly debated every time, he has done his job more often than not, with both bat and ball.

Jaydev Unadkat made a comeback after 12 years but played just one Test. India will want to use his left arm variety more in the upcoming WTC cycle.

Kuldeep Yadav played a single Test match in this cycle, against Bangladesh, where he took eight wickets in the match including a five-for, and also scored 40 runs. He is currently, and should be going forward, the fourth spinner in the pecking order for India after Ashwin, Jadeja, and Axar.

Either Way

Ajinkya Rahane does not have a central contract and was only recalled for the WTC Final because of injuries to several first-choice players. However, his impressive performance in the Final has put him in contention once again.

KL Rahul has had a topsy-turvy international career. He led India for a few games in this WTC cycle and even scored two overseas centuries. But his form has dipped significantly and he finds himself out of the team with youngsters who have done well in domestic cricket and the IPL waiting to grab their opportunities. Again, the management will need to decide if they would want to go back to Rahul if the need arises.

KS Bharat has played five Test matches, including four at home and the WTC Final in England. His batting average stands at 18.42 and he has not given much confidence with any of his knocks so far. There’s a temptation to try Ishan Kishan as the back-up wicketkeeper, however, Bharat’s low sample size might just allow him a few more chances.

Mayank Agarwal was dropped from the team after he failed to cross 35 in his last eight Test innings. However, he had a brilliant Ranji Trophy season where he was the highest run-scorer in 2022-23, and his exceptional game against spin might tempt the management to keep him around as a potential back-up, at least for home games.

Hanuma Vihari scored 215 runs in four matches in this WTC cycle. It was the lack of big runs that saw him get dropped. However, with a potential change of guard looming in the batting department, India might look back again towards Vihari.

Twist

Cheteshwar Pujara has faced questions over his place throughout his Test career. However, this time they are more pointed, given his age – Pujara will be 37 by the time of the next World Test Championship final. With several youngsters waiting in the wings and the ageing side looking for young blood, Pujara might have to be the first to go among this batch of seniors.

Umesh Yadav had an average WTC campaign. He took 22 wickets from nine games at an average of 33.72. He is 35 years of age, and his issues outside the subcontinent are well-known. It might just be the right time for India to start looking past him and developing younger fast bowlers.

Ishant Sharma has potentially played his last Test match for India already. While his defensive bowling skills are lacked by India currently, it is highly unlikely that they will turn back towards him.

Wriddhiman Saha has been effectively told that he is not in contention for the national team anymore. At 38 years of age, that is highly unlikely to change.

Jayant Yadav played two Test matches in this cycle. India need to find and develop younger backup off-spinners for Ashwin in Tests.

Suryakymar Yadav made his Test debut in this WTC. He made eight in the only innings where he batted. India have enough middle-order batters who are doing well in domestic cricket and can fill up a slot if required. Yadav is one of the best T20 batters in the world at the moment and should be allowed to do his thing without having to worry about long-form cricket.