Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 bound Indian squad is currently in Australia preparing for the upcoming five-Test match series scheduled to start from November 22. There are talks about Andra-based fast bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy that he will make India a more balanced side with his batting and pace bowling just like Hardik Pandya who was forced to leave the longest format of the game citing his fitness.
However, former India cricketer Kirti Azad who was the part of Kapil Dev-led 1983 World Cup-winning team reckoned that so many people talk about so many things, and every player who is selected for the country has something special in them.
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"There were so many talks of so many people filling the shoes of Kapil Dev. Would anyone reach that? No. But every player in his own right, if selected to play for the country, must be having something in him" said Kirti Azad in exclusive conversation with Sports Tak.
Nitish Reddy made his India debut in the T20I series against Bangladesh on October 6, 2024. The right-arm batting all-rounder played three T20Is and is yet to feature in the longest format of the game. India bowling coach Morne Morkel hinted during India's press conference that Reddy will make his Test debut in Perth.
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India will play the first Test match without the services of regular ODI and Test captain Rohit Sharma as he is currently spending time with his family. Jasprit Bumrah will be the stand-in skipper for India during the Perth Test. Apart from Rohit, Shubman Gill will also most likely to miss the first Test as the young batter got injured during a practice session at WACA. Gill has fractured his finger while fielding in slips during a match simulation in Perth.
The upcoming five-Test match series is important for India to seal their spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final. India needs to register a 4-0 win to confirm their berth for the WTC final for the third consecutive time without depending on the results of other teams.
India's squad for Border-Gavaskar Series: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, Prasidh Krishna, Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar.
