As India prepares for the much-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Australia, Sanjay Manjrekar has unveiled his starting XI for the first Test, which will begin on November 22 at the Optus Stadium in Perth.
With Indian captain Rohit Sharma missing the Perth Test after the arrival of his second son and Shubman Gill sidelined due to a thumb injury, the defending champions face a selection dilemma for the much-awaited first match of the Test series.
Sanjay Manjrekar’s surprising India XI for Perth Test: Abhimanyu Easwaran to open and Dhruv Jurel at No. 3
While the leadership baton has been passed to Jasprit Bumrah, the focus remains on who will open the innings alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal at the Optus Stadium. However, Sanjay Manjrekar has a bold suggestion as he backed Abhimanyu Easwaran to make his Test debut and open the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal in the Perth Test against Australia.
Despite competition from established names like KL Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal, Manjrekar believes Abhimanyu Easwaran’s exceptional top-class performances make him the most ideal choice at the top. The former Indian batsman said ignoring his strong record would be a mistake.
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But that’s not all as Sanjay Manjrekar has sprung another surprise by selecting young wicketkeeper-batsman Dhruv Jurel at the crucial No. 3 spot in the absence of the injured Shubman Gill. Jurel’s impressive performances for India A, including 50-over matches against Australia A, caught the attention of Manjrekar, who said the youngster is ready to take on this high-pressure role.
I’ll stick with Abhimanyu Easwaran on top: Manjrekar
Manjrekar said on ESPNCricinfo: “I have also said in the past, try to do the right thing. You chose him as an opener because of his tremendous performance at the first-class level. And if you are not going to value that and buy a couple of warm-up matches in conditions that you have been exposed to for the first time, it is not the right thing to do and it is not like KL Rahul. One opening option is to set the stage on fire, so I’ll stick with Easwaran on top for those reasons.”
He added: “This is really someone who is a bit comfortable in those conditions, and Jurel has also looked better in the warmer games in the past. In Test he could look the part. “He has a good first-class track record, so based on his current performance and being, you know, smart with the resources available, I would rather have him at number three than someone like KL Rahul.”
Manjrekar’s XI: Abhimanyu to open, Jurel at number 3. Listen to me. ☺️
– Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) November 19, 2024
Meanwhile, the rest of India’s batting line-up is expected as Majrekar picked Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul at 4, 5 and 6 respectively in his playing XI for the Perth Test against Australia. The cricket expert also picked two spin all-rounders in his playing XI, giving the number seven spot to experienced left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja.
Sanjay Manjrekar demands Washington Sundar’s inclusion in India’s playing XI for Perth Test
Well, Manjrekar argued that India should sacrifice a pace bowler to include all-rounder Washington Sundar as the second spinner in the playing XI for the first Test in Perth. He highlighted Sundar’s impressive performances against New Zealand, where he took 16 wickets in two Tests and also contributed with the bat, scoring 88 runs.
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The commentator explained: “Well, there is a history of Indian cricket relying on spinners. One in 1977, when India played three spinners, and it was a very close Test match. More recently, Kumble and Sehwag have been playing as spinners. Sehwag got a couple of wickets, [including] Adam Gilchrist.
So, I think if you have quality bowlers, and after the kind of performance that Washi showed in the last series. I mean, who has the heart and wants to knock down someone like him, plus the kind of hitting depth he had? So, I would rather sacrifice a fast bowler and have someone like Washi.”
I can’t leave Washy after the last series at home. Good?
– Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) November 19, 2024
In the end, Manjrekar chose Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep as his pacers and said he could “stand on rooftops and defend his eleven”.
Here is Sanjay Manjrekar’s playing XI for the first Test:
Abhimanyu Easwaran, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep.