Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has hailed India’s young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy for his standout performances in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, calling him an “underrated” talent and advocating for his promotion in the batting order.
Reddy, who has impressed throughout the series, announced his arrival in style during the Boxing Day Test at the MCG. With India reeling at 191/6, the 21-year-old played a fearless, swashbuckling knock that lit up the Melbourne crowd. Reddy smashed his maiden Test century, eventually scoring 114 off 189 deliveries.
Clarke, who was full of praise for Reddy’s performance, called Reddy a ‘genius’ and further called for his promotion in the batting order. Talking to Beyond 23 Cricket Podcast, Clarke stated, “Reddy, this young kid batting at number eight, is a genius. I think he has definitely got to bat seven if not six. He has been India’s leading run-scorer, 21 years of age, unbelievable. He has been underrated in the entire series.”
Reddy’s knock lifted the Indian spirits and pushed his tally to 294 runs in the series, making him the second-highest run-scorer for India in the ongoing series, only behind opener Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Good enough bat for 6
The discussions about Reddy’s batting position have gained momentum, with Clarke suggesting that his performances warrant a move up the order. “He has impressed everyone. He has not feared any Australian bowler. He has been patient when he has needed to be patient. He has batted with the tail extremely well. He has shown his intent. He bats, bowls and fields,” Clarke noted.
“I think he is good enough to bat at number six. So what a great option for India going into the last Test match,” he added.
While Reddy did smash a solid century in Melbourne, it wasn’t enough for India to avoid a defeat as the side endured a poor batting performance in the second innings, failing to play out the final day of the Test. Chasing 340, India were bowled out for 155 with only Jaiswal (84) showing fight in the middle.
