'Who calls Nitish Reddy an all-rounder? Don't care what Gambhir says' - Kris Srikkanth tears into India after lackluster Guwahati show

Former Indian captain Kris Srikkanth has questioned Nitish Kumar Reddy's inclusion in India's Test squad over the likes of Axar Patel. Nitish is currently representing India in their second Test of the two-match series against South Africa.

Srikkanth pointed out that Nitish does not seem to be a proper pace-bowling all-rounder going by the way in which he bowls with the red ball. He also reckoned that Nitish has not done enough in domestic cricket to warrant a place in the 50-over squad in place of Hardik Pandya.

"Who calls Nitish Reddy an all-rounder? Can anyone see his bowling and say he is an all-rounder? He hit a hundred at the MCG but what has he done after that? One swallow doesn’t make a summer, as they say. If Nitish is an all-rounder, then I am a great all-rounder. Does he have movement or pace? He is not some deadly batter either. Let’s call a spade a spade. How is Nitish in the ODI team as well? What has he done? Is Nitish a replacement for Hardik Pandya? Why not Axar Patel?,” stated Srikkanth in a video on his YouTube channel.

Srikkanth, who has also been a chairperson of selectors for the BCCI previously, criticised how the team management and Gautam Gambhir have been constantly using a rotation policy to test out players instead of sticking with a fixed group of players.

“Every alternate match, someone is making a debut. They can say trial and error. Gautam Gambhir can say whatever he wants. I don’t care. I have been a former captain and former chairperson of selectors. I know what I am talking. I am not talking through my hat. You need consistency,” he noted in the same video.

India are currently in Guwahati, fighting to salvage the Test series. They lost the series-opening clash by 30 runs in Kolkata. The tourists have dominated in the second fixture as well, amassing 489 runs in the first innings before bundling out India for 201 to take a massive lead. 

If at all India lose the series, it will be Gambhir's second Test series loss at home in the last three series. The Men in Blue will square off against South Africa with three ODIs and five T20Is scheduled after the red-ball games.