After an emphatic win last week, India will meet the West Indies in Delhi for the second Test, starting on October 10. Ahead of the match, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate shared a crucial update on the playing XI and the performances of all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy.
Nitish Kumar Reddy featured in the first Test, but his contribution was limited to bowling four overs in the first innings. He bowled a maiden and gave away 16 runs in the other three overs. He did not get to bat and did not bowl in the second innings. However, Doeschate believes the team combination is likely to be unchanged for the Delhi Test.
“I’d say we’re unlikely to change the combination. One of the objectives, one of the sort of medium-term objectives, is to develop a seam bowling all-rounder for India. It’s very important when we go away on tours that we have that position coming. We think he’s a fantastic seam bowling all-rounder. He’s the same sort of character of player where we don’t doubt their skills at all, but for their bodies to hold up to play Test cricket is a different matter,” Doeschate explained in the pre-match conference on Wednesday.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Dhruv Jurel (w), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj.
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While revealing the playing combination for the second Test, Doeschate shared an interesting page from India’s planning for the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle 2025-27.
According to the management, the playing XI for a home series like this is based on giving game time to the players. Their improvements now would be helpful in the future and potentially, the overseas tours. Nitish is famous for his maiden hundred in the Melbourne Test during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
“I think a series like this where you look at the combinations, it’s more important to look ahead and see how he [Nitish Kumar Reddy] gets game time and a chance to develop his bowling. The only sort of downer from last week from that first Test was the fact that Nitish didn’t get to compete in any of the departments. But I think it’s also a strong message to the guys who are fighting for that spot that you need to be versatile, you need to be able to bat anywhere from number five all the way through to eight,” the India coach added.
Having said that, NKR isn’t particularly in competition with another pace all-rounder in Tests. When it comes to white-ball cricket, Hardik Pandya is India’s best bet for a pace all-rounder. But in Tests, Shardul Thakur is mainly used as a bowler. Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar are spin all-rounders, both of whom come on the back of centuries in Ahmedabad.
Forespeaking, it is the best time to groom a pace all-rounder, especially someone who is amicable in the dressing room. Though NKR’s Test career stretches just eight matches, India looks at him as a mainstay.
India’s upcoming Test fixtures include two Tests in Kolkata and Guwahati in December.
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