Jason Sangha’s stellar domestic season strengthens his credentials for an Australia Test debut

It’s a good time to be Jason Sangha. Captaining Australia A in a series against Sri Lanka A, Sangha scored two fifties in three unofficial ODIs and followed it up with an unbeaten double century in the four-day game. The squad featured familiar names like Josh Phillipe and Nathan McSweeney alongside emerging players such as Oliver Peake and Zanden Jeh.

Now, the South Australia and Adelaide Strikers batter is in Chennai, training at the MRF Pace Foundation. On Thursday, he took a break from the intense work to meet the media.

“The great thing about A-team cricket, and also trips like this, is that you get to rub shoulders and become teammates finally with guys that you’ve wanted to see how they go about their training,” Sangha said.

The blend of youth and experience, he adds, has made the environment all the more stimulating.

“It just makes it really fun... It’s just nice to get to learn how other guys go about their training, and see some different faces,” he adds.

His productive run at Australia A level follows a standout domestic season.

After a couple of lean years with his native New South Wales, Sangha moved to South Australia ahead of the 2024–25 Sheffield Shield season. The switch proved transformative. He piled up 704 runs at an average of 78.22 and capped the season with an unbeaten fourth-innings century in the final against Queensland, sealing South Australia’s first title in 29 years. That victory marked a major moment for the state and its cricket fans.

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“When the two AFL teams are playing really well, there’s a really good buzz around the city and when South Australian cricket — with Travis Head or Alex Carey — playing well, there’s a really big buzz around the city for cricket. We’re still trying to focus on it for next year, but it’s awesome to give the state and the fans something they’ve been probably craving for a long time.”

For Sangha, the move also sparked a shift in mindset. Faced with the uncertainty of losing his New South Wales contract, he focused on building consistency — not just in his game but in his outlook.

“For myself, every game that I do play, I just want to go out there and give it my absolute best. I’m just a lot more level-headed than I probably would have been. I want to keep having those good habits, and being consistent with how I train, how I play.”

That consistency has strengthened his credentials ahead of the next home Ashes series — a topic that’s drawn early headlines after Steve Smith warned that Australian pitches have become “very tricky for top-order batters.”

Sangha is more measured in his assessment.

“I think the characteristics of certain pitches are going to stay the same. That’s also the beauty of Australian cricket; every pitch has its own little characteristic of how they’re going to go.”

He added that while pitches fluctuate slightly from season to season, Shield cricket in 2024–25 was generally batter-friendly. “I don’t think there’s been a lot of change per se; last year as a whole, it was a great season to be a batter.”

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As he enters — of what should be the prime of his career — Sangha is clear-eyed about his ambitions. While the pull of franchise cricket continues to grow, the Baggy Green still holds the highest value.

“I think the beauty of Australian cricket is you can still have a very, very good career — and I’m talking money-wise — playing for Australia. But for me, absolutely, wanting to play for Australia is still the pinnacle.”

That aspiration carries an added layer of meaning. Sangha is one of the few players of South Asian descent to regularly feature in First-Class and representative cricket in Australia — and he doesn’t take that lightly.

“Someone like Uzi (Usman) Khawaja was a massive idol or inspiration for me coming through. I think he was sort of the pioneer of that. You know, seeing a number three batter play for Australia, who was obviously of subcontinental descent, playing in the Ashes, SCG 2000-whatever.”

“That was, as a kid who looks a little bit different, really inspiring to see someone like Uzi could do it and play for Australia and that it was possible,” he said.

This is something that Sangha looks to carry forward. “I think we all are role models in some way,” he said.

“I used to go to Big Bash games and watch Gurinder Sandhu play because he was Indian, his mum and dad were from Punjab. If that brings in a couple more people to play the game, and, as it should be because cricket in Australia is so inclusive, then I guess we’re doing our job as role models,” the batter said.

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