NEW DELHI: Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh voiced his concerns about the team’s composition ahead of the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth.
Team India is reportedly considering giving all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy his first Test cap in the opening match. Nitish has received an unexpected call-up after his recent debut in T20 Internationals against Bangladesh.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Harbhajan Singh, during a discussion on Jatin Sapru’s YouTube channel, emphasized the limited experience in Reddy’s first-class career. The 21-year-old has played 23 matches, accumulating 779 runs at an average of 21.05 and claiming 56 wickets at an average of 26.98.
Harbhajan questioned the decision to place such a crucial responsibility on Reddy in the demanding conditions of Perth. The former spinner also highlighted the absence of Shardul Thakur, who played a key part in India’s notable series victory in Australia during the 2020-21 season.
“You needed an all-rounder like Hardik Pandya. But you don’t have an option but to play Nitish Kumar Reddy. Where is Shardul Thakur? Where is Hardik Pandya? We just confined them to shorter formats. Suddenly, on a tour like this, you’re asking Nitish to bowl,” Harbhajan said.
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Harbhajan suggested that Reddy’s role might be comparable to the bowling contributions of former captain Sourav Ganguly, providing a few overs of medium pace and potentially picking up crucial breakthroughs.
“What he can do is just bowl a few overs here and there like Sourav Ganguly did, and if he gets 1-2 wickets, then that would be a bonus,” Harbhajan added.
As the first Test is set to commence at Perth’s Optus Stadium on Friday, there are questions being raised about the team’s approach to selection.
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