"It's an approach that never works" - Sanjay Manjrekar on Indian all-rounder's role in BGT 2024-25 4th Test

Former India player Sanjay Manjrekar believes India missed a trick by leaving out top-order batter Shubman Gill in favor of spin-bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar for the recently concluded Boxing Day Test against Australia in Melbourne. The hosts clinched a comprehensive 184-run victory to take an unassailable 2-1 lead in the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25.

Manjrekar opined that Gill's presence would have bolstered India's batting order on the Melbourne wicket. He suggested that India erred in their combination for the crucial encounter, considering that Sundar's role was more of a batter.

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Manjrekar said:

"You tried to address the batting uncertainties by getting a bowler who can bat. Nitish Kumar Reddy in the side at the expense of Shubman Gill. So, they left out a proper batter and in hindsight, you'd think on a pitch like this, the flattest pitch on all five days so far in the series, Shubman Gill would have been handy."

"Nitish Kumar Reddy did well and thankfully that helped matters. But it's an approach that never works where Washington Sundar in the end was playing as a batter, and he's never going to be as good as a top-order batter like Shubman Gill," he added.

Sundar bowled 19 overs across two innings and registered scores of 50 and 5* with the bat. Chasing a daunting 340-run target, India were bundled out for just 155 on Day 5, suffering a big defeat.

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"There is a huge difference between Bumrah and the rest" - Sanjay Manjrekar feels India's bowling hasn't looked strong in BGT 2024-25

In the same discussion, Sanjay Manjrekar added that India's bowling has lacked venom on the ongoing Australia tour. He pointed out that barring pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, the other bowlers haven't made a significant impact.

The cricketer-turned-commentator opined that Australian bowlers, on the other hand, have been relentless. While speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Manjrekar said:

"There is a huge difference between Bumrah and the rest. Siraj, despite him being around and he's a fine bowler, but there's still a big distance between Siraj and Bumrah. Plus, when you look at Mitchell Starc and Siraj, Akash Deep and Scott Boland, overall the (Australian) seam attack is looking a lot better. Nathan Lyon as a spinner in these conditions is better than Washington and Ravindra Jadeja. So India will go into the final Test match knowing that their bowling attack is not adequate."

Manjrekar reckoned that having someone like Kuldeep Yadav in the Boxing Day Test would have benefitted India. He suggested that the left-arm spinner would have run through Australia's tailenders quickly, not allowing the lower order to form crucial partnerships. He added:

"For the first time I thought of Kuldeep Yadav. If he was in that team, the tail would not have maybe wagged as much because these kind of bowlers are excellent at finishing the innings."

India and Australia will now compete in the fifth and final Test of BGT 2024-25. The match will be played in Sydney from Friday, January 3, onwards.