Vaughan Selects His Border-Gavaskar Trophy XI, Snubs Reddy
Former England captain Michael Vaughan, now a respected cricket commentator, recently announced his combined best XI from the recently concluded India-Australia Test series. Despite Nitish Kumar Reddy’s impressive all-round performance throughout the series, where he scored 298 runs and claimed 5 wickets, Vaughan surprisingly excluded him from his team.
Reddy, a 21-year-old debutant, showcased his talent across all five Tests, including a brilliant 114-run knock in the Boxing Day Test. However, Vaughan opted for a combination of Indian and Australian stars. His XI features Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sam Konstas as openers, followed by KL Rahul, Steve Smith, Travis Head, and Rishabh Pant. Ravindra Jadeja provides spin support, while a formidable bowling attack comprises Jasprit Bumrah, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Scott Boland.
Vaughan explained his selections on a Fox Sports show, emphasizing his desire to include young, aggressive players like Jaiswal and Konstas. He acknowledged Rahul’s consistent contributions and praised the potency of the Australian bowling quartet. Former India head coach Ravi Shastri, also present on the show, expressed his agreement with Vaughan’s selections.
“That’s a very good 11. I would have thought of instead of Constas, but you know, like Vaughany said, a lot of young people watching, they want to, you know, see the game of Test cricket advancing, so love it.”
Michael Vaughan’s combined Border-Gavaskar Trophy XI: Sam Konstas, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Jasprit Bumrah, Scott Boland
