Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra believes India is unlikely to play Nitish Kumar Reddy in ODIs as a fifth bowler, as they need to have at least six bowling options. Reddy returned with expensive figures of 1-45 in five overs he bowled in the opening ODI against the West Indies on Sunday.
However, Reddy had a good series with the ball against Afghanistan, bagging six wickets in three T20I matches. But Chopra highlighted that Reddy is yet to develop his game as a fast bowler.
The all-rounder is getting his chances in the absence of star all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who has been struggling to make a comeback because of injuries.
Aakash Chopra said on Cricinfo, “Well, India is unlikely to put themselves in that kind of situation. That will help him develop as a bowler, but it’s not just about him. There are other four bowlers, one of them can actually have a bad day. One of them could possibly have a niggle as well. So you need to have six options. You keep in mind that if Reddy is bowling well, I’ll bowl him the entire quota. If not, I need to have an option.”
Meanwhile, the renowned commentator highlighted that India is consistently pushing Reddy in different match situations in Hardik Pandya’s absence.
He concluded, “India is continuously pushing him in different phases of the game now with a thought that Hardik may or may not be available. So, once that reality or a possible scenario dawns on you, then you become a lot more serious with what you do with Nitish Kumar Reddy. And therefore, we’ve seen him bowl with a new ball in T20s. We saw him bowling with a new ball in that ODI game in Thiruvananthapuram.”
The second ODI between India and the West Indies will be played at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati, on Wednesday.
