Sanjay Manjrekar calls the Indian star a ‘rare batting talent’ but cites a case where he could be dropped

Cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar sees young Nitish Kumar Reddy as having a “rare talent for batting”. But he subtly hinted at a dilemma regarding his place in the playing XI, suggesting that the Indian team needs to strengthen its bowling attack. The 21-year-old could be a catch for India right after the first two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series in Australia. As Indian batting stalwarts stood in the dark in Perth and Adelaide, Nitish stole the show with a flurry of aggressive knocks, establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with.

In the first innings of the first series, batting at number eight, Nitish quickly realized that the surface was doing nothing for Nathan Lyon and hit three fours in eight balls.

Despite having just 942 runs to his name in first-class cricket at an average of just 23.55 in 25 matches, Nitish has shown signs of much more than his statistics suggest.

Nitish’s precision and understanding of the game allowed him to beat the Australian bowling without breaking a sweat. Coming in at number seven, Nitish made a crucial 41 in the first Test and then scored 42 each in the first and second innings of the Adelaide Test.

“He has an exceptional talent for hitting the ball and you can see it. Perhaps the kind of talent that gets better with better bowling. He doesn’t have many runs in first-class cricket, but you can see a rare batting talent here,” Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo.

However, he expressed concerns about the Indian team’s need to find the right balance after the Adelaide Test. Indian seamers, known for their ability to take wickets at will, were sharp in targeting the Australian batters.

Apart from Jasprit Bumrah, who seemed to be at his best with his swagger, the rest of the team put in a toothless performance most of the time.

If the Indian management decides to add another seamer, Nitish could become the sacrificial lamb in the process. Manjrekar feels the possibility of playing him as a full-fledged batter is too risky and too early.

“But India also needs to think about balance in the team. India also need to try to make their bowling sharper and also address their batting issues. Nitish has shown some spark for now. It’s a little risky, but it’s too early,” he added.

The current BGT is currently level at 1-1 as the action now heads to Brisbane for the third Test, which starts on Saturday.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)