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Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has raised questions over the inclusion of Nitish Kumar Reddy in India's playing XI during the recently concluded second Test against the West Indies.
India won the series, whitewashing West Indies 2-0. Reddy, who bowled only four overs in the first Test and was not given a single over in the second, had a limited role throughout the series. West Indies posted 390 in their second innings, but he was not given the ball by captain Shubman Gill. Ashwin, speaking on his YouTube channel Ash ki Baat, expressed his concerns about Reddy's selection, stating that India could have opted for a specialist batter or a proven all-rounder like Axar Patel instead. "If this is Nitish Reddy's role, I feel you can play a specialist batter or a bowler. You could play Axar Patel. What less has he done? He has been a match-winner," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel Ash ki Baat. Ashwin questioned the logic behind selecting an all-rounder who barely contributes with the ball. "When does Nitish Reddy come into play? I am not saying you play an extra bowler, play a specialist batter only then. Axar has done much better than Nitish in this role," he added. "Axar Patel has the best defense against spin, so if you're not using him, especially when choosing between Siraj, Bumrah and a second seamer, then Nitish can play for batting depth, otherwise I don't see a point. Nitish is a fine batter but there could a bit more role definition," he noted. Axar has played 14 Tests so far for India and has scored 646 runs at an average of 35.88 with four fifties. With the ball he has picked up 55 wickets at an average of 19.34. Whereas Reddy has played nine Test matches and scored 386 runs at an average of 29.69 with one hundred. With the ball, he has picked up eight wickets at an average of 39.62 His backing of Axar Patel, who has delivered consistent performances with both bat and ball, adds further weight to the discussion ahead of India's next Test assignment. (ANI)
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