The second Test between India and West Indies will be played in Delhi from Oct 10.
India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate stated that the team management is trying to develop Nitish Kumar Reddy into a proper all-rounder ahead of the second Test against the West Indies. This match will be played in Delhi on October 10.
Doeschate also hinted that India won’t be tinkering much with the playing combination despite the "dry and patchy" surface expected in Delhi.
"I think it's a little bit too early to say on the pitch, but today this side in particular looks very dry, and it's very patchy. So, we don't think it's going to be a wicket that necessarily helps the seam bowlers. I don't think that's a big surprise in Delhi.
And I'd say we're unlikely to change the combination. One of the objectives, one of the sorts of medium-term objectives, is to develop a seam-bowling all-rounder for India. It's very important when we go away on tours that we have that position covered. We didn't get a very good look at Nitish last week. So, I think it's actually a very good opportunity to give Nitish another go and not alter the balance of the team,” Doeschate said ahead of the second Test, quoted by Cricbuzz.
Nitish did not bat in India's innings victory in the first Test and bowled only four overs as first change, all of which came in a single spell. Because of his limited exposure, ten Doeschate believes the second test will provide more opportunities to see him in action, albeit the youngster's fitness may be the deciding factor in how far he progresses as an all-rounder.
"We think he's a fantastic seam-bowling all-rounder, a batter that bowls seam. I think the biggest sort of limitation to what his ceiling could be is going to be his body. He's not the first all-rounder we've seen in this country. That applies to, let's be perfectly honest, Hardik. He's the same sort of character of a player where we don't doubt their skills at all. But for their bodies to hold up to play, Test cricket is a different matter.
Nitish has shown everyone in Australia just how good he is as a batter. And again, the challenge for him is going to be to make sure that he gets game time in between the away series. I think a series like this, where you look at the combinations, is more important to look ahead and see how we can fit him in to make sure that he does get game time and the chance to develop his bowling. We think he's a quality all-rounder,” he added.
"When Nitish came back into the team after his injury, it put him right at the back of the list, and that's the reason why he batted 8. And like I said, the only drawback, or the only sort of downer from last week from that first test, was the fact that Nitish didn't get to compete in any of the departments.
But I think it's also a strong message to the guys who are batting for that spot that you need to be versatile. You need to be able to bat anywhere from 5 all the way through to 8. And we feel that's a good way to make better players, so that they can perform in different scenarios and in different positions. Like I said, they're all disappointed that they're not batting 6 or 7. That means, in their cricket, they are in a good space,” Ten Doeschate said.
Ten Doeschate also talked about another young face in Sai Sudharsan and stated that there is no panic in the team management, despite a sedate start to his Test career.
Sai began the England trip as No. 3 before losing it to Karun Nair and retrieving it for the final Test, and he now has another chance to cement his position.
"I think he's under no illusion, and you can't hide away from the fact that you do fight for a spot in this environment. You saw Karun Nair get four Test matches in England. There are a lot of good players about to get on the heels of whoever has possession of that spot. So, Sai just needs to focus on believing in himself. We've obviously got a lot of belief in him to give him that number three spot. He's playing pretty nicely. Probably a tactical mistake the other day, which you'll be aware of, playing back to a ball so early in the innings.
"And we just want him to go in there and just bat. We know he's good enough, and now he has to find a way of scoring runs and showing the rest of the country and the rest of the team that he's good enough to hold that spot. But certainly, no panic or no worry. Particularly in a winning team, you can absorb that," he stated.
These two home tests against the West Indies, coming after a demanding tour of England, have allowed the management to give Sai a consistent run, even if the schedule has been somewhat erratic.
"In a series like this, it's nice. We know he's going to get four knocks. Well, obviously, only one knock in the first test, but he's going to get two test matches to put his aims together. It's probably a little bit early to be sort of worried or panic-stricken. It doesn't help that you have five Test matches in the UK and then you wait six weeks to play the next Test match. It's the same thing happening after this test next week; we don't have a test match for another three and a half weeks. So, there's no sort of string of fixtures to get your rhythm and to get yourself going. But again, that is the nature of Test cricket in this era, and he has to find a way to do it.
But yeah, I'm sure he does feel like he's got our backing, like he's got the captain's backing and the coaching staff's backing. And we feel he'll deliver on his promise very, very soon,” Doeschate stated.