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In 23 First Class matches played so far, 21-year-old Nitish Kumar Reddy has scored 779 runs and picked up 56 wickets.
Nitish Kumar Reddy to make Test debut in Perth. (Picture Credit: AFP)
21-year-old Andhra all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who earned his maiden India Test call-up for the upcoming five-match series against Australia, is all set to make his red-ball debut on November 22 in Perth. According to a report in Indian Express on Sunday (November 17), Reddy, who has 56 wickets to his name in 23 first-class matches played so far, is likely to get his maiden Test cap in Perth as the Indian team management is likely to play him as fourth seamer.
The Optus Stadium in Perth is expected to have bounce and carry, and Reddy could be the right fit. His inclusion in the playing XI will allow India to have four fast bowling options, and it will also provide depth to India’s batting.
Reddy, who made his international debut for India last month against Bangladesh during the T20I series, played in the two unofficial Tests for India A against Australia A earlier this month and registered scores of 0, 17, 16, and 38 runs. He bowled in all four innings but was only able to take one wicket.
Reddy rose to prominence with his performances in IPL 2024 for Sunrisers Hyderabad, and after that, he was included in the Indian team for the five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe in July. But he was ruled out before the start of the series due to injury and then returned to the team for the home series against Bangladesh in October 2024.
In the second T20I of the three-match series played against Bangladesh at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on October 9, Reddy was promoted to bat at No. 4, and he made the most of the opportunity by scoring 74 runs from just 34 balls. During his stay at the crease in that match, he hammered four fours and seven sixes. Apart from his super show with the bat, Reddy impressed with his performance with the ball as well and picked up two wickets for 23 runs in four overs to win the Player of the Match award.
While Reddy is fairly new to international cricket, Indian team management and fans will expect him to deliver with both bat and ball in the upcoming matches, and if he manages to do so, then he will be a great asset to Indian cricket.
