India’s cricket team is set to maintain their winning combination for the upcoming second Test against West Indies, which kicks off on Friday in New Delhi. A key strategic focus for the team management is the continued development of young Nitish Kumar Reddy as a seam-bowling all-rounder, a role deemed vital for future overseas tours.
Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate confirmed this approach on Wednesday, stating that the management intends to give Reddy an extended opportunity. This decision comes despite Reddy’s limited involvement in the previous Test, where he primarily contributed with a notable diving catch to dismiss Teganarine Chanderpaul.
“We’re unlikely to change the combination,” Ten Doeschate stated, underscoring the commitment to nurturing talent with long-term objectives in mind. He emphasized the critical importance of a robust seam-bowling all-rounder position for touring success: “It’s very important when we go away on tours that we have that position coming. We didn’t get a very good look at Nitish last week, so I think it’s actually a very good opportunity to give Nitish another go and not alter the balance of the team. We think he’s a fantastic seam-bowling all-rounder.”
The former Netherlands captain pointed out that physical durability, rather than cricketing skill, often poses the biggest challenge for seam-bowling all-rounders in India. “I think the biggest sort of limitation to what he’s seen could be his body. He’s not the first all-rounder that we’ve seen in this country,” Ten Doeschate remarked. “He’s perfect on his heart. 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.”
Reddy’s impressive batting performances, including a Test century scored in Australia at the MCG, have certainly caught the coaching staff’s eye. Ten Doeschate lauded his batting prowess but stressed the necessity of consistent game time for his all-round development. “Nitish, I think he’s shown everyone in Australia just how good he is as a batter,” he said. “The challenge for him is going to be to make sure that he gets game time in between the away series. A series like this, where you look at combinations, makes it more important to look ahead and see how he gets game time and a chance to develop his bowling. But the crux of your question is we really like him and we think he’s a quality all-rounder.”
Currently, India’s spin department boasts strong contenders like Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, and Axar Patel, fostering healthy competition for limited spots in the playing XI. “The lucky thing for us is Washi (Washington Sundar) and Jaddu and even Axar are pretty much the same sort of players we feel like, but anywhere from number five all the way through to eight,” Ten Doeschate explained. “On the most recent evidence, Washi getting important runs in the UK, obviously Jaddu’s form in the last six months has been immense and unfortunately that means when Nitish does come back into the team after his injury, he fits in right at the back of the list and hence the reason why he got an eight.”
Reflecting on Reddy’s minimal impact in the first Test, Ten Doeschate highlighted the importance of versatility for middle-order players. “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,” he noted. “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, and we feel that’s a good way so that they can perform in different scenarios and in different positions.”
Ten Doeschate concluded on a positive note regarding the team’s overall strong position. “We’re all disappointed that they’re not playing 6 or 7,” he added with a smile, “but that means that their cricket’s in a good space, so we’ll have to let that continue.”