Nitish Kumar Reddy, the young all-rounder, won’t be playing in the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata. Instead, he’ll get more playtime with the India A team, who are playing South Africa A in Rajkot from November 13-19. Word is he’ll be back with the main team for the second Test in Guwahati, starting November 22.
Why the Switch?
Team India has said they’re getting Reddy ready for the future, especially for tours overseas. But he didn’t get much of a chance in the West Indies series. He only bowled a few overs in one match and didn’t get to bowl at all in another. He batted at No. 5 but didn’t face enough balls to really prove himself.
His spot will probably go to Dhruv Jurel, the wicketkeeper-batter who’s been doing great. Jurel just scored two unbeaten hundreds against South Africa A, and he also had tons against West Indies and Australia A.
Pant and Jurel Give India More Options
Rishabh Pant is back from his foot injury, so India suddenly has a lot of good wicketkeeping choices. Pant and Jurel mean the team has more flexibility.
India’s assistant coach, Ryan ten Doeschate, said that Jurel is in such good form, they can’t leave him out.
“I don’t think you can leave him [Jurel] out for this Test,” Doeschate said on Wednesday (November 12). “Dhruv’s been great the last six months and scored two 100s in Bangalore last week; he’s definitely playing this week.”
What’s Next for Reddy?
This isn’t bad news for Reddy. Playing for India A in Rajkot means he can get some experience and stay in shape. The team still thinks he’s important for India’s future Test plans, especially when they need seam-bowling all-rounders.