Barring all the problems Team India has, on this upcoming IND vs AUS series, the management should avoid giving rise to newer ones. Yes, there are a few injury concerns; there will be a few absentees for sure, with no clarity on status of Mohammed Shami and skipper Rohit Sharma, but Gautam Gambhir should be clear on who to play, and who not to.
Nitish Kumar Reddy vs Harshit Rana
Now, as per a report in Indian Express, fast-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy is all set to make his debut in the opening match at Perth, starting November 22. But that might not be the best idea, considering there is Harshit Rana in the squad too. Surprisingly, while Reddy is touted as an all-rounder, Harshit is not seen in the same space, or a successor to Hardik Pandya.
But numbers suggest otherwise. Nitish Kumar Reddy was around in the IND A vs AUS A matches as well, but wasn’t as good. He picked up one wicket in two matches, and returned with scores of 0, 17, 16 and 38. This year in his only Ranji Trophy match vs Andhra, he scored 47 & 34 and picked up one wicket only.
1st Test, IND vs AUS
So, one thing is clear, he might score 20s or 30s lower down the order, but won’t be of much help with the ball. On the other hand, there is Harshit Rana, who is struggling to make his debut for Team India, despite proving his worth. Right from Duleep Trophy, he has been giving signals, that he is ready for the Tests. There in two matches, he picked up eight wickets, and scored 0, 12, 31 and 24.
Come the Ranji Trophy, he impressed against Assam with seven wickets and 59 runs. Overall, in 10 FC matches he has 43 wickets, and scored 469, including a ton and two fifties. Plus, he has the aggression of a an Aussie fast-bowler that might trouble the opposition too.
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