Gautam Gambhir’s Rumoured Perth Plan for Australia Called ‘Senseless’: ‘He is Still Undercooked’

Gautam Gambhir’s Rumoured Perth Plan for Australia Called ‘Senseless’: ‘He is Still Undercooked’

There have been rumors that Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy could receive their debut caps as India gets ready for the much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy opener against Australia in Perth next Friday. The decision was made as Shubman Gill, who is injured, and usual captain Rohit Sharma are expected to be out. Nonetheless, there has been discussion of Nitish Kumar Reddy perhaps making his Test debut, particularly in light of his lackluster efforts thus far on the tour.

Nitish Kumar Reddy’s International Journey So Far

During India’s T20I series against Bangladesh last month, Nitish made his debut for his country. He showed potential with the bat, amassing 90 runs in three innings, including a fifty. By taking three wickets, he also made a contribution with the ball. He then played in a two-match series against Australia A to obtain important preparation for the next series after being selected in India’s Test squad for the tour of Australia.

His performance in the Down Under series, however, sparked criticism. Nitish grabbed just one wicket in his first series in Australia and scored just 71 runs in four innings, including a duck. In spite of this, the 21-year-old was spotted having lengthy conversations with senior players and head coach Gautam Gambhir on Day 3 of a match simulation at the WACA, which fueled rumors that he would be ready for a Test debut.

Criticism of Nitish’s Potential Test Debut

Many people have criticized the rumor mill surrounding Nitish’s Test debut, including former India cricketer Dodda Ganesh, who voiced his disdain on social media. In a post on X, Ganesh referred to the decision to include Nitish in the Test squad too soon as “senseless.” “Either pick a genuine bowler or go with a genuine batter if you feel the batting needs to be bolstered,” he added, arguing that Nitish is still unprepared for the longer format. Nitish Reddy’s fast-tracking for the tests is pointless. He is yet not mature enough to play the longer format.

Also Read: How Virat Kohli Recovered After 15-Run Outing in WACA Match Simulation

A Look at Nitish Kumar Reddy’s First-Class Credentials

Results from Nitish’s red-ball record are not quite consistent. He has amassed 779 runs at an average of 21.05 in 23 First-Class games, including two fifties and a century. He has taken 56 wickets at an average of 26.98 with the ball, including two five-wicket hauls. With 25 wickets at an average of 18.76, including a five-wicket haul against Mumbai, when he removed notable players like Ajinkya Rahane and Shreyas Iyer, he was Andhra’s highest wicket-taker during the most recent Ranji Trophy season.