Who would have thought even three weeks back that, at this stage of the five-Test series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Nitish Kumar Reddy would sit third on the list of leading run-scorers? That he would be India’s second highest run-maker, ahead of Virat Kohli and KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant?
Welcome to the world of the 21-year-old. Making the switch from relative anonymity to luminescent spotlight after his exploits for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024, the Andhra lad is enjoying his tryst with Test cricket. Picked as an all-rounder, who can weigh in as a fourth seamer and contribute vital runs lower down the order, his medium-pace has been used sparingly, but he has held his own with the bat.
Admirable consistency
Nitish has been the epitome of consistency, backing up 41 and 38 not out on debut in Perth with identical efforts of 42 in the Adelaide defeat. Three of those scores have been the highest for his team in that innings, all three came mainly with the lower order for company. This early in his fledgling career, Nitish has showcased maturity and composure and the ability to change gears when required. It’s been an impressive initiation into the five-day game for someone, who had played only 21 first-class games before October and, many will argue, didn’t have the numbers to warrant selection to the Test squad for Australia.
Whenever Nitish has gone into overdrive, it’s because he has had to. With wickets tumbling rapidly in the first innings of the series, he was responsible for hauling his side to 150, which was enough for Jasprit Bumrah to work with. In the second, as India were pushing for a declaration, he mocked Australia’s negative mode of attack with a free-flowing essay that eased the pressure on Kohli, closing in on his 30th Test ton.
Cheeky and inventive
In the day-night Test, as his more illustrious colleagues poked and prodded, Nitish mutated from watchfulness to aggression when the bowlers came out to join him. He is a powerful lad, but he is cheeky and inventive, too. Two strokes stood out in Adelaide – a screaming aerial cover-drive off Mitchell Starc in the first innings that landed well beyond the ropes, reminiscent of Rahul essaying a similar stroke against Pat Cummins at the same ground in 2018, and a fabulous hook against Cummins in the second when his Sunrisers captain came from round the stumps and targeted his ribcage.
“We are so chuffed with him,” assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate crooned. “The way he worked in Perth and the game plans he implemented to get crucial runs, to get us to 150, was amazing. He’s very raw, but for a 21-year-old to come out and play three innings of the quality he has, it’s super exciting. He’s done everything a young player could do in a very short space of time.”
Both Bumrah and Rohit Sharma have used his bowling sparingly — just 14 overs across four innings, which have brought him two wickets. There certainly is a case for more overs, given that he can swing the ball and bowls in the early 130s. Who’s to say that he won’t have an influence with the ball, too?
