India vs Australia: Gavaskar Criticizes Gambhir’s Selection Choices for First Test in Border-Gavaskar Trophy

The exclusion of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja from India’s playing XI for the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth has raised eyebrows, with batting legend Sunil Gavaskar leading the criticism. The decision, made by head coach Gautam Gambhir, saw Nitish Kumar Reddy debut alongside Washington Sundar in a surprising selection move.

Known for their exceptional Test credentials, Ashwin and Jadeja, with over 900 Test wickets between them, have been linchpins of India’s bowling attack. However, Gambhir opted for a “horses-for-courses” strategy, choosing players based on recent form. About this extra-ordinary selection process, Gavaskar remarked:

I’m really surprised with Ashwin and Jadeja not playing; they have got 900 wickets between them in Test matches. They are not bowlers who can just play in Indian or sub-continent conditions and are very clever bowlers, they are very experienced bowlers. Even if they might not get you wickets, they will be able to slow the scoring down because of the cleverness of how they bowl.

Meanwhile, Washington Sundar earned his spot due to his recent impressive bowling figures in the New Zealand series, where he excelled as a dependable all-rounding option. But the legendary Indian batter who owns the series on his name was more surprised about Reddy’s potential as a fast-bowling all-rounder following his average first-class record of 23 matches. He said:

He has not played many first-class games and so clearly, I think, this selection of Nitish is more in hope, nothing less. Like all Indian cricket followers, I hope it comes off.

Fans and cricket pundits alike have echoed Gavaskar’s concerns, questioning the rationale behind sidelining two of India’s most accomplished bowlers. The first Test result will likely shape the perception of Gambhir’s bold selection calls.