The former wicket-keeper batter of India, Dinesh Karthik, felt that the Indian team was a bit defensive in their attack and plan during the third Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 at the Gabba in Brisbane, especially after their 10-wicket defeat during the second fixture at the Adelaide Oval which labeled the series at 1-1.
On winning the toss, the Blue Brigade decided to bowl first under grey and overcast conditions as the management decided to use their third and last spinner of the squad, Ravindra Jadeja, to replace another veteran spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin, in the side. That decision was blamed by most of the former players.
Dinesh Karthik felt that both the Indian captain, Rohit, and their head coach of the side, Gautam Gambhir, had gone with a defensive approach by taking their eyes off, taking 20 wickets in the contest. Jadeja, being the better batter than Ashwin and Washington Sundar, has got his place in the side.
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“(I) have to say that Rohit and Gambhir have gone towards an option which provides more batting. In the bowling, they perhaps have realized that all three spinners, or rather two spinners that have played so far, haven’t had that much of an impact. They have probably feared that let’s try to get the best batter out of these three.” Dinesh Karthik expressed during the discussion on Cricbuzz at the end of the opening day’s play, which saw just 13.2 overs due to persistent rain.
“Nitish Reddy has been the find of the series”- Dinesh Karthik
The former Tamil Nadu batter looked back at the past when Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri always used to aim for 20 wickets in the encounters. They planned to go with a 6-5 combination with five proper bowlers.
“This is what their thinking must be, and it doesn’t sit well for me. I just feel when India has done well abroad, the one thing that you always have to give credit to Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli for the limited success they had in touring was to aim for 20 wickets. What can we do to get 20 wickets? That was their constant question.” Dinesh Karthik highlighted.
The former wicket-keeper batter also remarked that Nitish Reddy has done well with the bat and ball in hand and picked up wickets in the series, which has worked in their favor as well. The veteran hailed the Andhra player as the find of the series.
“They always prefer playing the 6-5 combination. Now, India has been blessed with a new member of the side, Nitish Reddy, who has been given a few overs under the belt. He has picked up wickets, but perhaps the find of the series so far.” Dinesh Karthik added.
The 39-year-old also saw the other side of the argument where India tried to solidify their batting by bringing Jadeja, especially after they were destroyed for 180 and 175 in the previous day-night affair.
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“To get into the mindset and the depth of the batting, but then you don’t mind the lack of batting. But the other point of the entire argument is what Washington Sundar and Ravichandran Ashwin have done that Jadeja can’t. That’s what I feel, slightly defensive, but I understand where it has come from.” Dinesh Karthik concluded.
India has been dropped at the number three in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2024-25 table. Another defeat will take the power of their dominance to reach the final of the event at Lord’s in June 2025.