The defeat in the 5th Test at the SCG has dealt India a huge setback. Gautam Gambhir’s team not only missed out on the World Test Championship Final but also endured their first Border-Gavaskar Test series defeat since 2015. Amid this, former Indian cricketer and currently a commentator, Sanjay Manjrekar has criticized India’s team selection for the crucial SCG Test.
Sanjay Manjrekar Calls Picking Washington Sundar a Blunder
Manjrekar questioned Washington Sundar’s selection and called playing him in Sydney a blunder. According to Sanjay, this selection would have made sense if the match was on a turning track, but on a pitch like Sydney’s, where Jadeja and Nitish Reddy were already present, it raised doubts.
“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.” said Sanjay Manjrekar.
Sundar’s decent batting performance in the 4th Test at Melbourne resulted in his selection in the SCG Test. At MCG, he scored a half-century in the first innings and bowled 19 overs, picking up one wicket. However, he didn’t get bowling opportunities in the SCG Test, as the pitch was not conducive to spin. He bowled only one over in the entire match, which happened to be the final over of the game.
The 25-year-old all-rounder earned a spot in the Test squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy following his outstanding performance in the home series against New Zealand. Despite India’s 3-0 defeat, Sundar emerged as the highest wicket-taker in the series with 16 wickets. He also contributed with the bat, scoring 89 runs in the two matches he played.