As India gets ready to take on England at Headingley this Friday, the talk is all about who will fill the seam-bowling all-rounder slot. Two names are in the fray: young Nitish Kumar Reddy who had a great run in Australia with a highlight being his 114 at the MCG and the more experienced Shardul Thakur who had some good performances during India’s win at The Oval in 2021.
The India ‘A’ vs England Lions practice matches don’t give us much clarity. Reddy got a fifty and two wickets while Thakur got two wickets and a high score of 34. Nitish’s coach K. Srinivas feels if he can bowl 14-15 overs in a Test, he’ll get a chance to play. But captain Shubman Gill hinted they might stick to four specialist bowlers.
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Srinivas feels if Nitish can bowl well, it will help his batting. Nitish had a great performance in Australia which still gives Srinivas goosebumps. He has been coaching Nitish since he was in Under-14 so he has seen him grow a lot. Back then Nitish stood out for being smart about the game, knowing when to score and when to hold back which is not common in many young players.
“He’s dedicated and works hard without cutting corners. His commitment really shows,” Srinivas said. This understanding of cricket led to early recognition for Nitish, including a BCCI award for the best U-16 cricketer for the 2017/18 season.
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Training with the Andhra senior team gave him valuable insights, especially hanging out with Hanuma Vihari who was with the Indian Test team from 2018 to 2022. “Vihari’s guidance meant a lot. It helped him see where he stood and taught him good habits,” Srinivas said.
What impresses Srinivas about Nitish isn’t just his skills but his character. Even after playing in the IPL he’s still down-to-earth and hasn’t let the fame get to him. During a break in the IPL Srinivas saw how unchanged he was, still remembering the early days.During the IPL break Nitish worked on white ball 30% and red ball 70% as England is the key. He had a side strain with Sunrisers Hyderabad but bowling is a must for him to be an all-rounder.
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Srinivas said in modern Indian cricket with so many players in the mix getting back into the team is tough. “Nitish has to keep training hard because the competition is fierce. They’re watching him closely and that’s good for India,” he said.
