Overview:
Subramaniam Badrinath raised doubts about Nitish Kumar Reddy's place in the Indian ODI setup after the New Zealand series. Stepping in for Hardik Pandya, who missed the series, Nitish was unable to make a mark.
Former India cricketer Subramaniam Badrinath criticized Team India’s move to bowl Nitish Kumar Reddy for eight overs in the final ODI against New Zealand in Indore. With five frontline bowlers available, captain Shubman Gill still turned to Nitish for an extended bowling stint.
Nitish Kumar Reddy failed to take a wicket and conceding 53 runs, as New Zealand dominated the Indian bowling attack to set a total of 337 in 50 overs. Despite his struggles with the ball, Nitish Kumar Reddy redeemed himself with a resilient 53 runs, but India still fell short by 41 runs, losing the series 1-2. Speaking about Nitish being overbowled in the final match, Badrinath expressed his views on YouTube.
“Okay, he scored a half-century. But apart from that, they handed him eight overs with the ball not because of his bowling skills, but simply because he was in the team. It seemed like they had no choice but to bowl him after picking him,” he said.
He struggled with the ball throughout the series, failing to take a wicket in 10 overs and ending with an economy rate of 6.60. This was just his fourth ODI appearance, coming in the series finale against New Zealand.
Subramaniam Badrinath raised doubts about Nitish Kumar Reddy’s place in the Indian ODI setup after the New Zealand series. Stepping in for Hardik Pandya, who missed the series, Nitish was unable to make a mark.
“Why is he even in the team and in that position? These questions arise because if such an inexperienced New Zealand side can beat India at home, something clearly isn’t right,” he added.