There are only a few fast-bowling all-rounders in world cricket, and in recent times, India has experienced a drought of good pace-bowling batsmen. The go-to man remains Hardik Pandya, but he has contributed more in white-ball cricket.
Having said that, as part of looking for other options, the BCCI has picked Nitish Kumar Reddy for the tour of Australia. Having already left his mark with his terrific batting skills during the T20I series against Bangladesh, as his star rises in international cricket, he shared important tips from coach Gautam Gambhir that helped him find his feet.
Reddy recollected his discussions with Gambhir and the team management during the Bangladesh series:
“At the start, it was about playing aggressively. They asked me to continue with the same tempo I had during the IPL, to play according to the situation.”
He remembers one such advice from Gambhir during a drinks break when the former India batsman told him to avoid playing the reverse sweep on low-bouncing wickets. “He said, ‘Nitish, you have good power. You can clear the boundary easily. There’s no need for a reverse sweep in these conditions,'” Reddy remembered.
During the second T20I against Bangladesh, Reddy played an incandescent 74-run knock that had the Indian cricketing fraternity sit up and take notice. He was thankful for Gambhir’s mentorship during such an important career juncture. “He asked me to believe in my power. Once I did, everything went right, especially against the spinners.”
Gambhir also counseled Reddy on an important aspect of his bowling. While his regular bowling pace is 130-135 kmph, he can touch the 140 kmph mark whenever required. “But I am more bothered about consistency rather than just pace.
I am working on being more consistent with red-ball cricket. When I bowl at 130-135 kmph, I feel nice. Rather than trying to pace up to 140-145 kmph and losing my consistency, I’d want to hit my lines. That is something Gautam sir has always harped on, and that’s what I try to concentrate on,” Reddy said.
