India vs New Zealand: 3 Reasons Why Nitish Kumar Reddy Still Deserves A Place In The Playing XI

India suffered a defeat in the second ODI against New Zealand in Rajkot on Wednesday. Daryl Mitchell’s masterclass and Will Young’s brilliance with the bat helped the side chased down a tricky 285 quite comprehensively. While it was a great show from the two Kiwi batters, Indian bowlers looked all at sea especially when Mitchell and Young were out in the middle.

Following India’s loss, all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy who replaced an injured Washington Sundar in the Playing XI has been facing a bit of criticism. Reddy’s place in the XI is being questioned especially after the right-hander came in at number 7 in the batting unit and only bowled two overs.

Here’s why it is not right to put the youngster under the radar.

Captain’s Call

Nitish Kumar Reddy bowled the 12th and 14th over in the only two that he bowled. The right-arm bowler was then removed from the attack. It was the captain’s call to not hand him the ball despite others being hit and a partnership building. Daryl Mitchell and Will Young chipped in with a stand that eventually cost India the match and brought New Zealand back in the series.

Kuldeep Yadav’s Expensive Spell

While Kuldeep Yadav has been India’s wicket-taking bowler in the past 3-4 years, it wasn’t an outing to remember for him. The left-arm spinner was smashed for 82 runs in 10 overs. With Kuldeep being hit for runs, the skipper and team management could have turned towards Nitish for 2-3 overs.

Arshdeep Singh’s Absence

Not a like for like replacement but Arshdeep Singh should have been picked in the Playing XI especially for this game. The left-arm pacer brings in a different variety and moreover, could have proved deceptive considering the way the track behaved. The ball wasn’t travelling quickly to the batters and Arshdeep could have picked wickets in critical situations.

Ravindra Jadeja hasn’t been impressive in the ODI format for quite sometime. He was hit for 44 in 8 overs. Clearly, India’s thought process of having batting depth isn’t really doing any good. The management needs to have get Arshdeep back in the XI.

Also Read: Why Virat Kohli Can Soon Lose Number One Position After Rare Failure In Rajkot