You can’t not be excited with the prospect of Nitish Kumar Reddy playing Test cricket for India. Anytime any pace-bowling all-rounder plays, the whole nation gets excited. Since Kapil Dev retired, not many have thrived, and those who have, like Hardik Pandya, their careers have been way too short. But even in that brief period (11 Tests), Hardik impressed immensely and won India a few matches.
Hardik Pandya’s Test impact
In his maiden series, he scored a fifty and a hundred in Sri Lanka and earned a ‘Player of the Match’ award as well. Then in his first match in South Africa, he scored a blistering 95-ball 93 in Cape Town and showed the world he can handle world-class bowlers like Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, and Vernon Philander. His bowling returns weren’t that great during the Proteas tour, but he proved his worth with the ball in England.
He scored 245 runs and took 10 wickets in 4 matches during the 2018 England tour. In the series, India was able to win just one match, and in that match, Hardik scored an unbeaten fifty and claimed his maiden and only Test five-wicket haul. In just 11 matches, he won India more matches than most do in their careers.
But injuries cut his career short. India had never had an all-rounder who could bowl 140 clicks consistently before or since. His void can be felt now as well. That’s why, despite his small sample size, people rate Hardik so highly. So while it’s natural to be excited about Nitish Kumar Reddy, another up-and-coming pace-bowling all-rounder, the question is, is he ready to take Hardik’s role in the Test side, especially with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) starting in under two weeks?
Expecting way too much from Nitish Kumar Reddy?
As a 21-year-old, Nitish has a long way to go, but his record isn’t flattering at all. In September, he played in the Duleep Trophy and managed to take just 2 wickets in three matches while scoring just 63 runs at 15.75. Since then, he’s played one Ranji Trophy and one match against Australia A, with underwhelming results.
Nitish surely passes the eye test. He isn’t as quick as Hardik, but he seems to have a more solid batting technique. The issue is, that hasn’t translated. He currently averages just over 20 in first-class with the bat. He’s found it tough to crack the code in List A as well, where his average is under 37.
His bowling numbers are better, but in the last couple of months, he’s not done any credible with the ball either. Everyone must realise, that Nitish is young. Unlike Hardik, who was 24 when he first played Test cricket, Nitish is just 21. Three years is a long time, and Nitish’s game can come heaps and bounds in this period, but right now, despite promise, he isn’t what Hardik was in 2017-18.
Hardik Pandya & Nitish Kumar Reddy: Stats comparison
| Mat | Runs | Bat Avg | 100s & 50s | Wkts | Bowl Avg | 5w | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardik Pandya (Tests) | 11 | 532 | 31.29 | 1 & 4 | 17 | 31.05 | 1 |
| Hardik Pandya (first-class) | 29 | 1351 | 30.02 | 1 & 10 | 48 | 30.95 | 3 |
| Nitish Kumar Reddy (first-class) | 22 | 725 | 20.71 | 1 & 2 | 56 | 26.10 | 2 |
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