The squad for the World Test Championship will be picked today which will face New Zealand in England.

The team is expected to have four openers, 4-5 middle order batsmen, 4-5 spinners, 8-9 fast bowlers and 2-3 wicketkeepers, as per a Cricbuzz report. The match will be played in Southampton from June 18 to 23.

The exact number of this jumbo team can only be given by the BCCI's advisory committee. After the World Cup, India will play a five-match Test series against England.

The higher number of players will also help Team India prepare for the finals of the World Cup. The team management feels that Team India will be helped to play inter-team matches to adapt to the environment in England.

It is unlikely that the Indian team will see much change. The selection committee headed by Chetan Sharma is expected to retain the squad for the series against England.

Hardik Pandya is likely to lose his Test spot for the World Test Championship final. Pandya, who made his Test comeback as a specialist batsman for England series, hasn't played red-ball cricket since 2018 and with him not bowling now, the chances of him making way for some other player are likely. Pandya didn't bowl in IPL 2021.

The report in Cricbuzz adds Prithvi Shaw may miss out on selection. The right-handed batsman was dropped from the playing XI on the Australia tour after the pink-ball Test match and was then ignored for England Tests. Shaw returned to form in domestic cricket and piled up 827 runs in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2020/21, batting at 165.40. He also captained Mumbai to a title victory.

There are some automatic selections as well. Virat Kohli will head the batting unit while Ishant Sharma will be leading the pace department. The likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and others are automatic selections. R Ashwin will lead the spin attack, including Jadeja and Axar Patel, who made an immediate impact against England.

The report further adds that Prasidh Krishna is in line for his maiden Test call-up. The right-arm pacer was included in the ODI team for the first time for 3 ODIs against England. Prasidh has only played 9 first-class matches and has scalped 34 wickets.

Ravindra Jadeja, India's frontline all-rounder, is likely to return to international cricket. He hasn't played top-flight cricket since the 3rd Test against Australia, which took place in January earlier this year. The 32-year-old had suffered a thumb injury in the penultimate Test match and missed the all-important fourth game.

Team India will be facing New Zealand in the World Test Championship final from June 18 in Southampton. Kane Williamson and other England-bound players will fly from India to England soon.