Former Indian fast bowler Varun Aaron reckons all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy’s selection in the two-match Test series against the West Indies will depend on the pitch conditions. Reddy will make a comeback after he was ruled out with a back injury on the England tour while training in the gym.
Meanwhile, the Indian conditions are known to be conducive for the spinners and thus Aaron reckons Reddy might not have a role in the team. Reddy has scored 343 runs in seven Test matches at an average of 28.58 and has scalped eight wickets in his young Test career.
“The team combination completely depends on what kind of wickets they play on. From the outside we can say he might not have a role. Whether he plays or not will depend on the wicket conditions. There was a period when India played on sportier pitches that weren’t complete turners,” Varun Aaron said on ESPN Cricinfo.
“We don’t know how Gambhir and Gill are going to operate. It’s Gill’s first home series (as captain) so it all depends on the kind of wicket. If it’s on the sportier side with five days of Test cricket, then Reddy has a shot at getting a chance.”
On the other hand, Aaron said Jasprit Bumrah should be included in India’s Test squad after his workload was managed on the England tour. Bumrah had played only three out of the five Test matches against England and he is currently playing in the Asia Cup.
“I think he will be playing this series because the reason they were managing his workload in England was to ensure he can play as many Test matches and series for India. If they were going to rest him here (WI series), then they would have played him in England maybe four out of the five Tests. So I think Bumrah is definitely going to feature. He will be part of the series but whether he will play one Test match or both remains to be seen,” said Aaron.
The opening Test match between India and West Indies will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, from October 2 onwards.
