Nitish Kumar Reddy Released from India Test Squad
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made a significant squad adjustment on Wednesday, announcing the release of all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy from India's squad for the first Test against South Africa. The opening match of the two-Test series begins on November 14 at Kolkata's iconic Eden Gardens.
Reddy's New Assignment with India A
Instead of remaining with the senior team, Reddy will now link up with the India A squad for their upcoming One-day series against South Africa A. The A-team matches are scheduled from November 13 to 19 at Rajkot's Niranjan Shah Stadium. According to the BCCI's plan, the young all-rounder is expected to rejoin the senior national team for the second Test in Guwahati following the conclusion of the A-series.
Team Management's Strategic Decision
India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate provided insights into the thinking behind this decision during the pre-match press conference in Kolkata. The Dutch-born coach confirmed that the team management has a clear vision for their combination in the crucial series opener against the reigning World Test Champions.
"I think we've got a pretty good idea of the combination," Ten Doeschate stated, emphasizing that team balance and expected playing conditions influenced their selection calls.
He further explained: "The primary thing is to set out a strategy to win the game. Nitish didn't get much game time in Australia, and given the importance of this series and the conditions we expect, he might miss out this week."
Jurel's Rising Stock Confirmed
In significant team news, Ten Doeschate confirmed that wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel will feature in the playing XI alongside Rishabh Pant. Jurel has been in exceptional form recently, scoring back-to-back centuries for India A against South Africa A, which has solidified his position in the squad.
Updated Squad and Series Context
India's revised squad for the first Test now includes:
- Shubman Gill (captain)
- Rishabh Pant (vice-captain and wicketkeeper)
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- KL Rahul
- Sai Sudharsan
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Dhruv Jurel
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Washington Sundar
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Axar Patel
- Mohammed Siraj
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Akash Deep
This series marks South Africa's first Test tour of India since 2019, when the hosts secured a comprehensive 3-0 victory. The two-Test contest will be followed by three ODIs and five T20Is, with both teams eager to improve their standings in the World Test Championship points table.
