Border Gavaskar Trophy: How Nitish Kumar Reddy showed off his immense all-round promise during dream Test debut in Perth

Don’t halt astatine 100 kids!@NitishKReddy @FoxCricket pic.twitter.com/V1udXy1PZP

— Mark Howard (@MarkHoward03) November 23, 2024

At 21, helium is much of a imaginable than a promise, a batsman much than a bowler. His strokeplay embodied the freshness of IPL-age batsmen. He reverse-swept Nathan Lyon, stepped down and cuffed him down the ground, precocious chopped Pat Cummins, straight-drove Josh Hazlewood and helicoptered Mitchell Marsh. But betwixt these flashy strokes, helium showed his robust antiaircraft technique, an property that could service him longer successful the game. His movements are minimalistic, has speedy hands, is comfy connected some feet, waits to justice the magnitude of the shot earlier committing to the shots, is seldom caught successful 2 minds, adapted smartly to other bounce, often getting connected apical of it and riding it. There are unsmooth edges still, but vulnerability would smoothen them.

As importantly, helium was wide astir his relation erstwhile helium strode retired to the mediate with his squad reeling astatine 73/6. A batch of debuting youngsters would person looked to survive, possibly eke retired a not out. But helium embraced risks, took the bullets for the team, emerged the top-scorer and provided a precious 40-50 tally cushion that made a batch of quality successful the end. His cameo furnished India an impetus that they carried connected with the shot successful hand. In the 2nd outing, his task was different, which was to heap the runs rapidly erstwhile Kohli composed his century. He enacted some functions without fuss. His manager astatine Andhra Cricket Academy successful Kadapa, Srinivas Rao, was not amazed astatine all. “He is selfless, and would sacrifice thing for his team. He besides loved the other responsibility, and would travel to america and inquire whether helium should bash this oregon that. He is ever looking to larn thing new,” helium says.

Nitish’s bowling is inactive a representation successful progress. But the signs are determination if you observe it. (AP)

It’s however helium nurtured his bowling. It was past academy manager and erstwhile Services skipper Charles David Thomson who advised him to make his bowling gifts truthful that helium would basal a amended accidental of progressing to the Andhra team, and aboriginal to the Indian team. “He said we (India) person lone a fewer bully seam-bowling all-rounders. So, I would basal a amended accidental to marque the squad arsenic an all-rounder than arsenic a axenic batsman,” helium told Sunrisers Hyderabad, the IPL franchise that has retained his services for the adjacent cycle.

Under Rao’s guidance, helium sculpted his bowling. Nitish erstwhile admitted that helium was “chucking” the shot successful his aboriginal days. But Rao corrected it and packaged him into a much implicit bowler. “He had a bully earthy in-swinger. I conscionable had to refine his enactment and past we worked connected his out-swinger and expanding his pace. I retrieve him bowling non-stop to polish his variations,” Rao says.

His bowling is inactive a representation successful progress. But the signs are determination if you observe it. He has dexterous wrists, a beauteous seam presentation, and bowls with an upright seam position. The merchandise is fluid and the shot doesn’t wobble successful the air. The wicket of Mitchell Marsh, Australia’s past ceramic of resistance, owed to the fraction of inward question that helium coaxed from a hardish length. The shot bounced a spot much than Marsh expected, arsenic helium slashed the shot backmost onto his stumps. In the archetypal innings, helium dutifully performed the hold-an-end-up banal chores. In little adjuvant conditions, helium would beryllium summoned for longer shifts.

"Like taking a slug for your country"

🗣️ Nitish Kumar Reddy reveals manager Gambhir's words that helped him look the occurrence successful Perth #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/THwnG9a91C

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 22, 2024

Last Ranji Trophy season, helium bowled an mean of 22 overs successful a game, connected mostly arid surfaces to container 28 wickets astatine 18.76. On adjuvant conditions, helium could probe fuller lengths and seam the shot some ways. Another manager of his, Nirmal Kumar, vouches for his betterment complaint to transportation connected bowling agelong spells. “No substance if helium bowled oregon batted, his betterment utilized to beryllium speedy and helium ne'er got bushed due to the fact that helium ever gave premier value to fitness. Even during breaks Nitish ever worked successful gyms, and with coaches,” helium explains.

The value of Nitish is that helium is not conscionable different seam-bowling all-rounder, but 1 with deeper gears. He tin bat successful the apical order, successful the middle, and down the line-up; tin grind, defend, oregon counterattack. He tin instrumentality the caller ball, travel successful arsenic first-change oregon deterioration the strangle’s role. Nirmal reminds of Nitish’s catching prowess too. “You don’t spot accelerated bowlers doing overmuch gaffe fielding but Nitish fields astatine gaffe not lone for pacers but besides for spinners. He is not lone Andhra’s champion batsman oregon fielder but besides the champion catcher, helium says. An aging gaffe cordon means that Nitish could adhd different relation to his swelling work list.

It mightiness beryllium presumptuous to liken him to Kapil oregon Pandya, but the committedness of Nitish is immense and much layers could unfold on with the tour.