Kolkata: India has released all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy ahead of the first Test against South Africa, set to begin on November 14, Friday. This decision came shortly after assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate confirmed that Dhruv Jurel will definitely feature in the series opener, indicating that Reddy may have to wait for his opportunity.
Instead of remaining on the sidelines in Kolkata, Reddy will participate in a three-match One-Day series against South Africa A starting November 13 in Rajkot. Notably, Jurel is expected to play as a specialist batter, even with Rishabh Pant making a comeback following a foot injury.
Earlier in the day, Reddy was seen bowling with full intensity in the nets alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. “After practice at Eden Gardens, he left for the airport to catch a flight to Rajkot,” the local team manager informed PTI.
Ryan ten Doeschate stated, “I think we have got a pretty good idea of the combination. Given the way Dhruv has performed over the last six months—scoring two hundreds against South Africa A in Bangalore last week—he is certainly set to play this week. Our main focus is to establish a strategy for victory. Our stance on Nitish hasn’t changed. He didn’t get much game time in Australia, but given the significance of this series and the expected conditions, we believe he might miss out on this Test.”
In another development, questions remain about whether Kuldeep Yadav will get a chance in the series opener against South Africa. With Jurel set to play, India has strong batting depth, including Axar Patel at number eight. This raises the possibility that Washington Sundar may also receive an opportunity, creating a selection dilemma among Sundar, Kuldeep, and Akash Deep based on the conditions.
