Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has criticised India’s team selection after their 3-1 series defeat against Australia. Manjrekar specifically took aim at the inclusion of Washington Sundar for the final Test, questioning the decision to field two spinners on a pitch that offered significant assistance to pacers.
India surrendered the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia after losing the final Test in Sydney in just three and a half days, with a dismal batting performance in the final innings.
Manjrekar expressed his concerns regarding the team selection, which, according to him, failed to capitalise on the conditions.
“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," he said.
India opted for two spinners—Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar—on a green-ish Sydney track, which significantly increased the workload for the pacers. As a result, India’s captain Jasprit Bumrah was forced off the field and did not return to bowl during the final innings when India were defending 162 runs against Australia.
“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,” Manjrekar added, highlighting the risks of relying on players for their secondary skills rather than their primary ones.
Washington Sundar played in three Test matches during the series but bowled only 37 overs, picking up three wickets at an economy rate of 3.13. With the bat, Sundar made 114 runs, including a fifty in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. However, his selection was controversial, as many felt it left India one pacer short on the fast and bouncy Australian pitches.
Despite concerns about the team’s balance, the management argued that Sundar's inclusion helped extend the batting line-up, which could prove valuable if the top order failed to deliver.
Ultimately, however, India’s reliance on two spinners proved costly in conditions favouring pacers, and the team failed to capitalise on key moments throughout the series.
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