Team India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has dropped a hint at changes in the playing XI for the upcoming second Test against England in Birmingham. Ten Doeschate revealed that Nitish Kumar Reddy is “very close” to making it into the playing XI, adding that Washington Sundar is also in contention.
Following India’s loss in the opening Test, there has been speculation around Jasprit Bumrah being rested for the next match, beginning at Edgbaston on Wednesday, July 2. Meanwhile, cricket experts, including former Australia captain Michael Clarke, have backed the inclusion of Kuldeep Yadav in the India side.
Nitish Kumar Reddy was positioned near the slip cordon with Karun Nair, KL Rahul, and Shubman Gill, while Sai Sudharsan took gully during the net session. Reddy also had a long batting session and bowled towards the end of nets. However, Shardul Thakur didn’t bowl to the main batters in practice.
Thakur had an underwhelming performance in the first Test at Leeds, which could cost him his spot. He went wicketless in the first innings, conceding 38 runs in six overs, and returned figures of 2/51 in the second. With the bat, he managed just five runs across both innings.
Reddy, on the other hand, has scored 298 runs at an average of 37.25 and taken five wickets across nine innings. The young all-rounder made his Test debut against Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25.
Nitish Kumar Reddy Is Very Close to Getting a Game - Ryan Ten Doeschate
Speaking at a press conference, Ryan ten Doeschate hailed Nitish Kumar Reddy as the team’s “premium batting all-rounder.” He revealed that the team opted for a bowling all-rounder in the first Test for India but admitted the management is now exploring options to bring in a batting all-rounder.
"Nitish is very close to getting a game. Obviously, he was fantastic in Australia. Coming into the team and playing the way he did. We just felt on balance for the last game, we wanted to go with the bowling all-rounder, which we thought Shardul was slightly ahead on the bowling front," Ten Doeschate said.
"We’re looking at ways of rejigging the puzzle so we can get a batting all-rounder in. And obviously, Nitish is our premium batting all-rounder at the moment. So I would say it’s a very good chance to play this Test," he added.
Very Strong Chance of Playing Two Spinners - Ryan Ten Doeschate
Ryan ten Doeschate said that India are likely to go with two spinners for the second Test, but the final decision will depend on the balance of the side. He stated that all three spinners in the squad are performing well, with Washington Sundar having a slight edge due to his batting contributions.
"There is a very strong chance of playing two spinners. It’s just which two we play. All three spinners are bowling very nicely, while Washy is batting very nicely. So it is just about what combination. Do we go with an all-rounder spinner or a spinner? Then obviously you have to play the bowling all-rounder," Ten Doeschate said.
"So there’s so many different variables. The wicket’s got 11mm grass on the pitch at the moment but it is quite dry underneath but there’s also rain forecast for Wednesday. So again, we are trying to weigh the two options attacking-wise. But I’m pretty sure two spinners will play in this Test match," he added.
Also read: Allan Lamb blasts racial quotas in South African cricket, demands merit-based selections only
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