- The Indian cricket fans will have mixed feelings witnessing a not-so-impressive show in Australia even though they had great opportunities to subdue the home team through more consistent performances. Except for the awe-inspiring performances of once-in-a-century pacer like Jasprit Bumrah, one of the finds of the tour must be none other than batting allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy. When the team was announced for the most gruelling series down under, the surprise element in the selection was picking up Nitish Reddy. That the youngster is barely 21 years old without much success at the first-class level added further intrigue to the selection. However, the selectors saw something that ordinary cricket fans failed to do. And the youngster has delivered.
PC: Times Of India
- As you are aware, every Indian cricket fan considers himself/herself as no less than an acclaimed expert on matters related to the game. Little wonder, there was a huge debate surrounding the selection of Reddy for a five-match Test series. In other words, he was a non-entity not exactly setting the India cricket scene on fire through jaw-dropping performances. Nonetheless, due credit should accrue to the selectors for having the vision to anticipate how Reddy could be a valuable addition to the team’s cause. Ever since his selection to the first Test in Perth, Reddy has not disappointed the team by consistently performing and contributing handy scores with the bat. His bowling hasn’t been particularly praiseworthy though. He must work on it considerably.
PC: India Today
- Reddy must build on his bowling aspects is stating the obvious. Welcomingly, his batting has come up leaps and bounds as the series progresses leading into the fourth Test in Melbourne. A few aggressive 40-plus scores from the youngster did add to Team India’s cause in the first three Tests when the visitors were in trouble. The attacking instinct of Reddy to take on the might of the Australian bowlers was visible right from the first Test. That he could manufacture some audacious shots in pacer-friendly conditions speaks volumes about the inherent talent possessed by the cricketer. Call it a fearless mindset of a youngster or the generation brought out on a heady recipe of T20 cricket, Reddy was fascinating to watch taking on the bowlers so nonchalantly.
PC: Scoresnow
- The icing on the cake must be the way Reddy went about belting his maiden century in Test cricket with such brilliance when the other acclaimed batters simply failed to put up a decent enough fight. Here is a cricketer whose baptism into international cricket came against the Australians. He is living a dream of his own by showcasing daredevilry in such cavalier fashion. The proud parents were in attendance to witness the unraveling of a precocious talent into a coming-of-age cricketer meant for more accomplishments in the days ahead. Team India has found a promising talent that must be carefully nurtured for adulation may curb the natural flowering prematurely. Hopefully, Reddy will go on to fully realize his talent for the good of himself and Indian cricket.
