Follow UsNitish Kumar Reddy was ruled out of the remaining two Tests of the five-match series against England. While India haven’t called for a backup so far, Anshul Kamboj was added to the squad as cover for the likes of Arshdeep Singh and Akash Deep, both injured, with the former being ruled out of the fourth Test.
So, to replace Reddy, here are three fast-bowling all-rounders India can call up to England.
When he entered cricket, Hardik Pandya was compared to the likes of Irfan Pathan and even Kapil Dev as a fast-bowling all-rounder. India haven’t really had one since those two. In the end, marred by injuries, Pandya prioritised limited overs cricket with the last of his 11 Tests coming way back in 2018.
But can the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) call him back for one Test, especially if the team does well to save the Manchester Test and has the chance to draw the series by winning the fifth Test at The Oval? While it is hard to say yes to that option, his 532 runs and 17 wickets with a five-wicket haul and a century to his name are enticing enough.
Playing for Bengal, Suraj Jaiswal has impressed one and all in his first 12 outings in first-class cricket, taking 60 wickets at an average of 15.43. His batting has been equally impressive, as he has smashed a century and a fifty against quality teams like Punjab and Assam. He usually bats at eight, nine and 10 numbers, but his century came while batting at number six.
Jaiswal might not be a consistent scorer with the bat, but he can surely handle the willow, and his bowling is as good as it gets, with his five-wicket hauls coming against quality opposition like Mumbai, Haryana and Assam.
A veteran of 86 First-Class matches, Chirag Jani might not be on everyone’s lips because he has not played some out-of-the-world IPL innings. But when it comes to red-ball cricket, the Saurashtra man does the job quite effectively with 3811 runs and 95 wickets to his name.
In the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy season, Jani took 17 wickets at an average of 14 and a strike rate of 34. While 2023-24 was his best in the bowling department, in the latest season, he scored 581 runs, the most for him in any season. Thus, 35-year-old Jani could be the best like-for-like replacement for Nitish.