India has a tough decision to make for the upcoming Tests in England. It’s a close call between Nitish Reddy and Shardul Thakur for the last spot in the playing XI for the first Test at Headingley on June 20. Both played in the India A team during the unofficial Tests against England Lions but their performances were mixed.
Nitish played as a batting all-rounder and did well in his first Test series against Australia where he played all five matches. But in England he struggled with the bounce and seam movement.
See Also:- Most sixes in Test Cricket
On a flat pitch in Canterbury he tried to cut the ball too early and too aggressively in his first innings. He did get a half century later on but by then the game was already decided and it was mostly part timers bowling.
Nitish’s biggest issue seems to be the seam movement. In Northampton he struggled against Tom Haines, a part-time bowler. In Australia he was able to attack aggressively since the ball came nicely off the pitch.
But in England the cloudy weather and grassy surfaces made it much tougher for the 22 year old. He didn’t look very effective with the ball and his average speed was around 70mph which he needs to improve.
Read Also:- Fastest batters to 1000 Test Runs
Shardul is more experienced having played 4 out of his 11 Tests in England. He has similar pace to Nitish but can get more seam movement. In Canterbury he bowled 28 overs almost double of what Nitish bowled and took 2 wickets. Back in 2021 Shardul was key in a series win in England serving as the 5th bowling option and contributing with the bat. Both will need to step up before the series starts.
