Sanjay Manjrekar slams India’s team combination for 5th BGT 2024-25 Test, questions Washington Sundar’s selection

Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar slammed India’s team combination for the fifth Border-Gavaskar Test against Australia, which the visitors lost by six wickets at the SCG on Sunday. Manjrekar, who is known to call a spade a spade, questioned Washington Sundar’s selection in the team.

Sundar hardly bowled in both innings and his selection on a green Sydney pitch raised a lot of eyebrows as India lost the Border-Gavaskar trophy after 10 years. Sundar didn’t bowl a single over in the first innings and bowled a solitary over in the second dig.

The left-hander from Tamil Nadu returned with scores of 14 and 12 in the two innings and thus also failed to deliver with the bat.

Sanjay Manjrekar said on ESPN Cricinfo, “It’s crazy when you think of an important place in that Indian Test XI in a marquee series. Barring that fifty, Washington Sundar hasn’t contributed with the bat much. I think he’s a highly talented bowler. But, he has a place when the pitch is turning overseas. And with Jadeja already there, Nitish Kumar Reddy as well, plus Washington Sundar as well. I thought his selection was a blunder on a pitch like this.”

Manjrekar noted that in the previous two tours of Australia when India savored success, they didn’t pick players based on second skill.

“The last two tours to Australia, India didn’t have a single player who was played because of his second skill. They always focused on his main skill and that was good enough to get him into the side. The other skill was a bonus. Here, I thought India went the England way, when England was not winning.”

Sundar scored a fifty in the first innings at the MCG and added 127 runs with Nitish Kumar Reddy to keep India in the contest but the all-rounder could not deliver at SCG.

India will next take on England in three ODIs and five T20Is at home.