New Delhi [India], January 7 (ANI): After the completion of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 against Australia, former head coach Sanjay Bangar shared his insight about India’s squad in the five-match Test series where he said the combination of Nitish Kumar Reddy with Ravindra Jadeja or Washington Sundar was really confusing.
“Nitish Reddy’s unexpected performance put the team in a dilemma. The combination of Nitish Reddy with Washington Sundar or Ravindra Jadeja created confusion. When there is an in-form player, it’s hard to drop him. The team management seemed to react as the series progressed rather than being proactive. On those pitches, decisions should have been made based on the immediate requirements. A more proactive approach could have resulted in better team combinations,” Sanjay Bangar said while speaking on Star Sports.
All-rounder Nitish also had a fine series with both bat and his pace bowling. He ended as the fourth-highest run-getter with 298 runs in five matches and nine innings at an average of 37.25, with a memorable Boxing Day Test century to his name. He played some memorable counter-attacking knocks in the series and also took five wickets at an average of 38.00, with best figures of 2/32.
Jadeja scored 135 runs in five innings in the recently concluded BGT series at an average of 27.00 whereas the left-arm spinner grabbed just four wickets in three matches at an average of 54.50.
On the other hand, Sundar scored 114 runs in the six innings of the five-match Test series at an average of 22.80 whereas the off-spinner bagged just three wickets in the three matches at an average of 38.67.
India, who began the series with a historic win in Perth, failed to sustain their momentum and lost the series by 1-3. This marked Australia’s first Border-Gavaskar Trophy triumph in a decade, their last win came in 2014-15.
Coming to the last Sydney Test, India won the toss and elected to bat first. Once again India displayed a disappointing performance with the bat. The Aussies dominated the game from the very first moment, with the help of Scott Boland’s fiery spells and debutant Beau Webster’s classic knocks.
On Day 3, Australia needed to make 162 runs to win the game, which they successfully chased and clinched a six-wicket victory in the Sydney Test.
The Champions Trophy is returning after more than seven years, and India will see it as an opportunity to add another ICC title to its title cabinet, especially after the T20 World Cup success in Barbados.
Pakistan will face New Zealand in the Group A opener in Karachi on February 19. The Dubai leg will begin the next day, with India taking on Bangladesh. (ANI)
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