Indian all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who recently played in India’s five-match Test series against England, has been left out of the India A XI for their upcoming game against Australia A in Lucknow. The match, delayed by rain for over two hours, marks the first of two four-day games between the sides.
Despite being seen bowling at full intensity during practice, Reddy was not included in the playing XI. According to Sportstar, Reddy was practicing hard, but fitness concerns may have prevented him from being selected.
Reddy’s Recent Form and Injury Recovery
Reddy, who scored an unbeaten 52 against the England Lions in May, has struggled with consistency, having posted scores of 34, 42, 1, 1, 30, and 13 in recent matches. The all-rounder had been sidelined with a knee injury during the England tour, leading to doubts about his full recovery for the four-day game. Though he made a return to the India A squad, reports suggest that Reddy may not yet be fully fit for the demands of the game.
Reddy’s injury occurred during a gym session, and he was ruled out of the series. He had a brief stint in the second and third Tests of the England series in July, where he failed to make a major impact, scoring only two runs and bowling six wicketless overs. Despite this, he played a key role at Lord’s by taking crucial top-order wickets, dismissing Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley in one over during the first innings.
Fitness Concerns and Future Prospects
Reddy was hopeful of featuring in the fourth Test of the series, but his injury ended his tour early. On September 6, Reddy bowled a lengthy spell to Sai Sudharsan and Ishan Kishan at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, but fitness issues have led to his exclusion from the India A squad. His place in the Windies Test squad is now under scrutiny, with many questioning whether he has fully recovered to return to competitive cricket.
India A Squad for the Australia A Match
The India A XI for the match against Australia A includes:
Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sai Sudharsan, N Jagadeesan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (w), Tanush Kotian, Harsh Dubey, Prasidh Krishna, Khaleel Ahmed, and Gurnoor Brar.
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