"Just For The Sake": Shubman Gill Slammed Over Nitish Kumar Reddy Stunt In 3rd ODI
Nitish Kumar Reddy's place in the Indian team has become a subject of intense debate.
No matter what India captain Shubman Gill does, critics find a way to question him. As the Indian team backed all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy for the decisive third ODI against New Zealand, he responded with a well-made half-century, his first for the national team in the format. But, former India cricketer Subramaniam Badrinath still isn't happy with some of skipper Gill's decisions involving the all-rounder. Badrinath said that Nitish was made to bowl 8 overs in the match 'just for the sake', as the management had no option but to use him as he had been picked in the side.
"Okay he scored a half century. But other than that, they gave him eight overs with the ball just for the sake of it and not because he is a good bowler. It looked like he was given the ball only because they had picked him and had no option but to bowl him," Badrinath said on his YouTube channel.
Nitish hasn't been able to grab the opportunities floated towards him with both hands. Though he was named in the 3-match ODI series against New Zealand, his future in the format looks uncertain, courtesy of inconsistent performances. Badrinath feels there's something fundamentally wrong with the Indian team, that is why an inexperienced team like New Zealand managed to win the series.
"What is he doing in the team and in what position? All these questions come up because if such an inexperienced New Zealand side has beaten India at home, there is definitely something wrong somewhere," said Badrinath.
Nitish Kumar Reddy vs New Zealand:
The young all-rounder experienced a series of mixed fortunes as India looked to groom him as a back-up for Hardik Pandya. After a quiet outing in the second ODI at Rajkot, where he scored 20 runs and bowled only two wicketless overs, he faced public criticism from assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate for not "doing a heck of a lot" with his opportunities.Â
However, Reddy responded under pressure in the final ODI in Indore, striking a resilient 53 off 57 balls and forging a vital 88-run partnership with Virat Kohli. While he showed promise with the bat, his bowling remained a point of debate. He finished the series without a wicket, conceding 53 runs in eight overs during the finale as New Zealand secured a historic 2-1 series win on Indian soil.
India Cricket Team
New Zealand Cricket Team