5 Indians in Michael Vaughan’s combined India-Australia playing 11 after BGT 2024-25

Former England skipper and current broadcaster Michael Vaughan selected his combined playing XI for the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), which concluded on Sunday, January 5. His XI featured five Indian players.

Meanwhile, Australia emerged victorious in the final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, winning by six wickets and clinching the BGT for the first time in 10 years with a 3-1 series win.

Speaking on Fox Cricket, the 50-year-old Michael Vaughan selected his combined playing XI, with Sam Konstas and Yashasvi Jaiswal as the opening pair.

Konstas, 19, debuted in the Boxing Day Test and scored 60 runs in his first innings, totaling 113 runs across two Tests. Meanwhile, Jaiswal was the leading run-scorer for the visitors, amassing 391 runs at an average of 43.44, including two fifties and a century.

Vaughan placed KL Rahul at No. 3; the Indian batter had a solid series, accumulating 276 runs, including two fifties. At Nos. 4 and 5, Vaughan selected Australia's Steve Smith and Travis Head, respectively. Smith scored 314 runs, with two centuries, while Head topped the run charts with 448 runs, including one fifty and two centuries.

The former England cricketer chose Rishabh Pant as the wicketkeeper. The 27-year-old accumulated 225 runs, while Ravindra Jadeja was placed at No. 7. The seasoned Indian all-rounder scored 135 runs in three Tests and claimed four wickets.

Vaughan selected four fast bowlers, including India's Jasprit Bumrah, who was named Player of the Series after taking 32 wickets. The other three seamers chosen were Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Scott Boland, who claimed 25, 18, and 21 wickets, respectively.

Michael Vaughan's combined playing XI for the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Sam Konstas, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Jasprit Bumrah, Scott Boland.

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Australia qualifies for the WTC final after triumphing in the 2024-25 BGT

As Australia claimed the 2024-25 BGT with a 3-1 victory, the defending champions also secured their spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final for the second consecutive time, where they will face South Africa.

Meanwhile, this will be the first time India will miss the final, having reached it in the last two cycles, only to be defeated by New Zealand and Australia, respectively.