Nitish Kumar Reddy isn’t ready. That’s what former Indian pacer Dodda Ganesh thinks. It’s being reported that the pace-bowling all-rounder is all set to make his Test debut on November 22 in Perth. But, Ganesh reckons that his fast tracking isn’t the right choice. Still 21, Nitish doesn’t have much experience and didn’t do well for India A against Australia A recently.
“Either pick a genuine bowler, or go with a genuine batter if you feel the batting needs to be bolstered. This fast tracking of Nitish Reddy for tests serves no purpose. He is still undercooked to be playing the longer format,” Dodda Ganesh wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Dodda Ganesh right about Nitish Reddy?
Nitish still has a long way to go. Since September he’s played in the Duleep Trophy, the Ranji Trophy, and for India A. After six matches, Nitish got 213 runs and 4 wickets. His record isn’t flattering at all, but he passes the eye test. He’s got a solid batting technique, but it hasn’t translated when talking about just numbers.
Although Nitish’s speed hovers around 130, his bowling numbers are better. However, in the last couple of months, he’s not done any credible with the ball either. He bowled 31 overs against Australia A across two games and managed to take just one wicket. His economy was fine (2.58), but he wasn’t able to penetrate the defenses of Aussie batters.
Considering what’s happened, it’s quite right to think Nitsh shouldn’t be given a chance in Perth. What one must consider before reaching the conclusion is that Nitish is just 21. He still has a lot of time to find his game. The best way possible for him to do that is by playing Test cricket. As a pace-bowling all-rounder, he may not get consistent chances in India, so he must be tried away from home, and why not do that on what’s expected to be a spicy Perth pitch?
Nitish Kumar Reddy first-class stats
| Matches | Runs | Batting Average | 100s & 50s | Wickets | Bowling Average | 5w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | 779 | 21.05 | 1 & 2 | 56 | 26.98 | 2 |
