Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar was full of praise for Nitish Kumar Reddy on all accounts when it comes to performing in the 2024-2025 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He even called him a ‘definitely’ better batter than Hardik Pandya for his age. Gavaskar had admitted that Reddy’s bowling is ‘work in progress’ but appreciated him for operating over the line, one such feat being the century in Melbourne.
He is the second-highest run-getter for India in his first-ever Test series, with 294 runs at an average of 49. He had several last-man knocks, batting mostly at seven and eight, which kept India in the game across Perth, Adelaide, and Brisbane. Against Melbourne, however, he made his way in at 221/7, and as the team recovered, his crucial contribution of 114 (189) took India from a precarious 369/10, though it was in a losing cause.
“Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar, ‘ … When India were looking down the barrel, he came through the fire with an outstanding century that has to cement his place in the team for a long time to come’. ” Since Hardik Pandya could not play Test cricket anymore, India has been desperately trying to find an all-rounder who can bowl medium pace and bat as well. Reddy’s bowling is still developing but last as an batter “Definitely betters Pandya-for this time and age.”
Gavaskar began the piece with the phrase that Reddy was one of the ‘brightest young stars’ in India and praised India’s selectors, with Ajith Agarkar in command, for casting away from his first class numbers.
“The Melbourne Test brought out one of the brightest young stars in Indian cricket, Nitish Kumar Reddy. He came to the notice of Indian cricket fans with his performances for the Hyderabad franchise in the IPL and, even though he had been hugely uninvolved at the first-class level, it is a huge credit to Ajit Agarkar and his fellow selectors to have seen enough to pitchfork him into the Test arena.
“Even his debut Test match in Perth made it very clear that here was a cricketer who could think and act according to the situation. With every single Test that followed, that impression of a good ‘cricket brain’ acquiring weight increased tremendously,” he added.
India, trailing 1-2 in the series, will play the final Test in Sydney beginning January 3.
