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Nitish Reddy Ignored; India Great Bats For Shardul's Inclusion In 1st Test vs England

Debashis Sarangi

Nitish Reddy and Shardul Thakur [Source: @imkmalhotra, @Cricketwithme15/X]Nitish Reddy and Shardul Thakur [Source: @imkmalhotra, @Cricketwithme15/X]

Former cricketer Harbhajan Singh has urged India to pick Shardul Thakur over Nitish Reddy as their seam-bowling all-rounder in the first Test against England at Headingley, Leeds. Both Shardul and Nitish recently featured in the unofficial Tests and intra-squad match to prepare for the high-voltage Test series commencing on Friday. 

Harbhajan Asks India To Prefer The Better Bowler Between Shardul And Nitish

Led by Shubman Gill, the Indian team is all set to face England in the first of the five Tests at the iconic Headingley in Leeds. Ahead of the crucial series opener, Harbhajan Singh has advised the visitors to pick the better bowler between Nitish Reddy and Shardul Thakur, with both players competing for the seam-bowling all-rounder's slot. 

Harbhajan, an absolute legend of the game, reckons that India have a formidable batting lineup, and hence, they should give the first preference to Shardul, who can strengthen their bowling department besides contributing with the bat as a lower-order player. 

“It will be important to see who is bowling better. I think India need a bowler who can bat a bit. India have got a batting line-up till 7. And at No. 8, you need to see who can bowl and get those wickets for you and bat a bit. Not someone who bats and bowls a little bit. I think that’s where Shardul will have an edge on Nitish Reddy," Harbhajan was quoted as saying by Express Sports. 

It's worth mentioning that Nitish Reddy hasn't been prolific with the ball after recovering from a side strain injury. However, he bowled several overs in the unofficial Test against the England Lions, scalping two wickets at a modest economy of 4.17. On the contrary, Thakur set the stage on fire, slamming a blistering ton in the intra-squad game and testing the opponents with his razor-sharp spells.