Former England captain Michael Vaughan has named his combined squad for the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), which concludes in Sydney on Sunday 5 January. Michael Vaughan included five Indian players in his combined squad, but surprisingly there was no room. For young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy.
The 21-year-old made his Test debut on November 22 in Perth and played in all five matches of the series. Nitish Kumar scored 298 runs and took 5 wickets. His best performance came during the Boxing Day Test match at the MCG, where he scored 114 runs off 189 balls while batting at number seven.
Australia won the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy of 2024-25 by six wickets at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The Pat Cummins-led side took the series 3-1, their first win over India in 10 years. India won the first Test in Perth by 295 runs, but lost all three matches in the final series.
Michael Vaughan picks the combined playing XI from Australia and India
Speaking on Fox Cricket, the 50-year-old picked Sam Konstas and Yashasvi Jaiswal as the opening pair. Konstas impressed on his Boxing Day Test debut, scoring 60 runs in his first innings. Jaiswal was the highest run-scorer for India, amassing 391 runs at an average of 43.44, including a fifty and a century.
Vaughan placed KL Rahul, who scored 276 runs in the series, including a fifty, at number three. Australian Steve Smith and Travis Head were chosen at Nos. 4 and 5, respectively. Smith scored 314 runs, with two centuries, while Head was the leading runner with 448 runs, including fifty-one centuries.
He has selected former England cricketer Rishabh Pant as the wicket-keeper-batsman for his XI. Pant scored 225 runs during the series. Ravindra Jadeja has been placed at number seven after scoring 135 runs and taking four wickets in three Tests.
Vaughan picked four fast bowlers, including India's Jasprit Bumrah, who was named man of the series for 32 wickets. Australian Pat Cummins (25 wickets), Mitchell Starc (18 wickets) and Scott Bolland (21 wickets) were also included in the squad.
He has been consistent for India throughout the series – Michael Vaughan
Michael Vaughan said he wanted Sam Constas and Yashasvi Jaiswal to be aggressive and take risks. Vaughan also stated that Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Jasprit Bumrah and Scott Boland will form a formidable quartet.
“Sam Konstas was on the field, he's still on the field because he just had a terrible stroke, but I kept him on the field because I want the young kids to go out there and absolutely smash the ball in all parts, so (Yashasvi) Jaiswal is with Konstas,” Vaughan said. “KL Rahul will finish third.”
“I think he's been consistent for India throughout the series. Steve Smith comes in at No. 4, Travis Head at No. 5, and Rishabh (Pant) at No. 6. My all-rounder is Jadeja, and just look at that quartet of your bowlers: Cummins, Starc, Bumrah, Boland, it doesn't get much better than that.”
Michael Vaughan Combined XI for Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25:
Sam Konstas, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Jasprit Bumrah, Scott Boland.