Ravi Shastri Recommends Batting Order Change for Nitish Kumar Reddy After Test Century
Former Indian cricketer and head coach Ravi Shastri has put forth a suggestion to move Nitish Kumar Reddy higher up in the batting lineup. This comes after Reddy scored his first Test century during the third day of the ongoing fourth Test against Australia in Melbourne. The 22-year-old all-rounder impressed fans with a stunning knock of 105 runs off 176 balls, which included ten fours and one six, achieving this milestone at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Following this remarkable performance, Reddy now stands as India’s highest run-scorer in the series, accumulating a total of 284 runs across four matches, averaging 71 with one century to his name. Shastri remarked that it should be the last time Reddy bats at the number 7 position, advocating for him to be promoted in the batting order for better team balance in future matches.
"I believe after his outstanding innings, this is the last time he’ll be batting at number 7. For the team to find the right balance, he should move up to either the 5 or 6 spot. This change would also allow the team to field five bowlers to secure 20 wickets, giving confidence to the selectors, management, and captain," Shastri explained during a discussion on Star Sports.
Shastri emphasized that Reddy has the capability to bat within the top six, which would significantly alter the dynamics of the game. He added, "If Reddy bats in the top six in Sydney, it allows us to have five bowlers in the lineup."
On the bowling front, India’s attack has faced challenges throughout the series, with only Jasprit Bumrah managing to consistently trouble the Australian batsmen since the first Test in Perth. The team, led by Rohit Sharma, is eager to boost their bowling strength as they need victories in the last two Tests to secure a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final in 2025.
