Courtesy: BCCI
Nitish Kumar Reddy, the Indian all-rounder, who is just 21 years of age, is reportedly set to make his Test debut for the national team against Australia during the first match of the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series at the Optus Stadium in Perth. The inclusion of Nitish Kumar Reddy in the Indian playing XI is likely to happen due to his ability to bat in the middle order and deliver vital overs with the ball as the fourth seamer of the team in helpful conditions.
Notably, after making his debut as a teenager in First-Class cricket for Andhra , Nitish Kumar Reddy has played 23 matches, scoring 579 runs at an average of 21.05 with a hundred and two fifties, while taking 56 wickets at an average of 26.98 with two five-wicket hauls. While these are remarkable stats from the youngster, especially with the bat, the team management has identified him as one for the future due to his ability to bat and bowl pace, which isn’t as common in Indian cricket.
Nitish Kumar Reddy is the only pace bowling all-rounder in the Indian squad for the BGT Test series
With that, it is likely that Nitish Kumar Reddy gets to wear the whites for India in a Test match for the first-time ever next week against Australia in Perth in the BGT opener, as reported by the Indian Express. The pitch at the Optus Stadium is known to provide a lot of pace and bounce to the fast bowlers, which could allow the young all-rounder to shine with the ball in front of an imposing Australian batting lineup.
Nitish Kumar Reddy is the only pace bowling all-rounder in the Indian squad for the BGT Test series after selectors picked him ahead of veteran Shardul Thakur, who has struggled for form apart from suffering an injury in the past year. Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya hasn’t been a part of the Indian Test setup in quite some time, which also opened the door for the Andhra cricketer to be picked in the squad for the Australian tour.
Prior to departing for Perth, Gautam Gambhir, the head coach of India, addressed the press-conference in Mumbai, where he alluded to the selection of Nitish Kumar Reddy ahead of the senior players. He remarked, “The decision to pick Reddy ahead of Shardul is also about moving forward. I think we’ve picked the best squad who can do the job for us. We all know how incredibly talented Nitish Reddy is and if given an option, he will deliver for us.”
