5 major selection errors Gautam Gambhir made in BGT 2024-25

The recently concluded Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 turned out to be a disastrous tour for India. They lost the series 1-3, failed to regain the BGT, and also washed away their chances of making it to the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

While the senior players, barring Jasprit Bumrah, failed to deliver as expected, head coach Gautam Gambhir also made some 'baffling' selections throughout the BGT 2024-25 series, that hurt the team.

Following the disappointing series defeat, Gambhir has also been under the scanner for some of the selection calls made. He has been called out and criticized for the selection errors in the BGT 2024-25 series.

Not only the players, but the coach will himself also have to go back to the drawing board and reflect on what could have been done better, just in terms of selection as well.

That said, here are the five major selection errors made by Gambhir during the BGT 2024-25 series.

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#5 Not playing an extra pacer in the fifth BGT 2024-25 Test in Sydney

India played two spinners and three quicks in the fifth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). On a green-ish track in Sydney where there was help on offer for the pacers, selecting both Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar was probably not the right call.

It resulted in a bigger workload for the pacers, with the series already being a long and tiring one. With Mohammed Siraj carrying a niggle and Jasprit Bumrah partly injured, a fourth pacer in Sydney would have certainly been of great help. With Nitish Reddy not playing as a pace bowling proper all-rounder, selecting two spinners left India one pacer short in Sydney.

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#4 Not picking either of Harshit Rana/Prasidh Krishna in Melbourne

Given the flat nature of the surface in the fourth BGT 2024-25 Test in Melbourne, an additional pacer would have helped the Indian team. Siraj was carrying a niggle from Brisbane while Bumrah's fitness was also a concern.

Both the pacers played in Melbourne and also bowled the most. Bumrah bowled 28.4 overs in the first innings while Siraj bowled 23. In the second innings as well, Bumrah put in 24.4 overs, with Siraj bowling 23.

While Washington Sundar was picked, he bowled just 19 overs across both innings, bagging only one wicket. Picking either Harshit Rana or Prasidh Krishna would have added some fresh legs to the pace attack and taken load off Bumrah and Siraj.

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#3 Dropping Shubman Gill for Washington Sundar in Melbourne

Another major 'blunder' by Gautam Gambhir was dropping a specialist batter in Shubman Gill for Washington Sundar in Melbourne. While India managed to score 369 runs in the first innings, they fell short in the second, being bundled out for just 155 runs.

Sundar was selected for Gill, a move that baffled many. His selection was not justified either, as Sundar hardly bowled in the entire Test. He bowled just 15 overs in the first innings and four in the second, which did not quite make sense.

With a specialist batter being sacrificed, Washington should have ideally bowled more. Underbowling him after dropping Gill raised questions about the selection call.

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#2 Not playing Akash Deep in Adelaide

While Harshit Rana impressed in the first Test in Perth by picking up four wickets, he failed in Adelaide. Harshit had a forgettable outing with the pink ball. He did not pick up wickets and was expensive as well.

Although he did well in Perth, someone like Akash Deep would have offered India a better attacking option as opposed to Harshit. The pink ball seams and swings a lot more than the red ball. Akash Deep also gets the ball to skid and his skills would have better suited the pink ball.

Despite having the pace, Harshit's skills were probably not suited for the pink ball, which was evident from his performance in the Adelaide Test eventually.

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#1 Playing three different spinners in the first three Tests

Perhaps among the most atrocious selection calls was playing three different spinners in all of the first three BGT 2024-25 Tests. India began with Washington Sundar in the first Test in Perth.

They played Ravichandran Ashwin in the second Test in Adelaide but played Ravindra Jadeja in the third Test in Brisbane. There was perhaps no clarity of thought and consistency in picking spinners during each of the first three Tests.

Three different spinners across three Tests highlighted the confused state of mind the management would have been in. A frontline spinner should have been decided upon and played consistently. Ideally Ashwin is the better spinner between himself, Jadeja, and Sundar, and should have played all three Tests.