As India prepares to take the field in a high-stakes Test series against England at Headingley on Friday, much of the pre-match discussion has focused on team combinations, particularly on who will fill the seam-bowling all-rounder’s slot. Among the contenders are young Nitish Kumar Reddy, who has shown flashes of brilliance with the bat during the tour of Australia, including a score of 114 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), and the experienced Shardul Thakur, who delivered notable all-round performances during India’s 157-run win at The Oval in 2021. The small sample size from the two red-ball games between India ‘A’ and England Lions in Canterbury and Northampton doesn’t provide much clarity – Reddy scored one fifty and took two wickets, while Thakur also claimed two wickets and had a highest score of 34 with the bat. K. Srinivas, Nitish’s childhood coach, believes that if the youngster can bowl 14-15 overs in a Test match in England, it improves his chances of being in the starting eleven, although skipper Shubman Gill mentioned in the pre-match press conference that they might field four specialist bowlers. “At present, if Nitish can bowl 14-15 overs (in an innings), then his batting will become useful, and he has a chance of getting into the team or otherwise, he will have to wait for his chance. Remember, he gave one of the best batting performances in Australia. Even till today, watching the innings highlights gives goosebumps for me and I feel proud about it,” said Srinivas in a conversation with IANS. The key to Nitish’s immediate future in Test cricket is his ability to consistently contribute with the ball. “Even in the last two years, the way he changed over or the mindset he worked upon and other aspects, batting-wise wise I have no doubt. He is capable of playing anywhere in the world because he plays fearless cricket. So there is no problem in his batting skills,” added Srinivas. Coaching Nitish since his Under-14 days at the academy in Kadapa run by the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA), where he served as the bowling coach, Srinivas has been a witness to the youngster’s journey defined by discipline, adaptability, and a fierce desire to improve his skills. “In those times, education and sports used to happen simultaneously. So there was something about him even back then. He was a very street-smart cricketer and knew how to score runs in U14 cricket. Usually in U14 cricket, batters would tap singles and which bowler to target and whom not to target and where to build the innings and when to slow down the innings – players don’t get it till making it to the Ranji Trophy level.” “But Nitish had that idea in the U14 days itself, thus showing his great cricketing brain. He doesn’t have cheat days. If he is working out or trying to work on a skill, he works very honestly on it. He himself doesn’t cheat and his work ethic are good,” Srinivas recalled. This raw understanding of the game translated into early accolades – a BCCI award for being the best U-16 cricketer for the 2017/18 season, for making 1237 runs. It was followed by him travelling with the Andhra senior team and the invaluable opportunity to share a dressing room with Hanuma Vihari, who was in the India Test set-up from 2018 to 2022. “His mentorship was very crucial for Nitish. So Nitish used to speak to me about what the senior team was like and how they helped him, and so on. So he got the opportunity to share the dressing room with Vihari, a player who represented India, and understood where he himself stands in cricket. Moreover, he learned better work ethics.” “I have seen lots of cricketers in this journey, but he is a keen player, as he understood what it takes to be a player for the next level, despite being just 18. Most cricketers have goals to be playing first-class cricket in five years or to play for India, but most of them lack the essence of reaching that path. Nitish, though, has learned how to go on this path and knows what to do – be it with the work ethics or the factor of one scoring runs in IPL and how its impact will be,” added Srinivas. What also stands out about Nitish to Srinivas isn’t a technical detail — it’s his character as a human being. “If you remember, there was a break in IPL 2025 due to Operation Sindoor, and that time I met him when I went to Visakhapatnam for work purposes. There I met him and he was just the same, like how he was in his younger days.” “Despite playing for India and in the IPL, he isn’t arrogant, and fame hasn’t got to his head. I have seen many cricketers, and after playing for certain years, they are somewhere in their mind, but he is still fine and was the same with me as how he was before. He remembers those memories and habits when he was 16.” “The memories are still fresh, and the best part was that he took my name in an interview. I was surprised that he took my name. That was a small incident, but I was surprised that he still remembers it because he said that was where his changeover happened,” he elaborated. Srinivas also recalled that during the IPL 2025 break, Nitish dedicated 30% of his practice to white-ball cricket and 70% to red-ball cricket. When training with the bat, he focused on playing close to the body and judging the off-stump — essential skills for succeeding in Tests in England. His acrobatic fielding skills are also a plus, as demonstrated by a stunning catch in slips during a tour game. Recovery from a side strain limited his bowling role in a forgettable IPL 2025 for Sunrisers Hyderabad, but there’s hope that the Indian team won’t give up on his bowling abilities. “One thing is sure, Nitish has to bowl in order to secure his spot and allrounder role. What I see is that now in modern-day cricket, especially in Indian cricket, once you step out of the team, there is no chance due to the volume of players here.” “We can send ODI, T20I, and Test teams at once for all games at the same time due to the pool of players we have. So Nitish has to prepare himself to take the team forward whenever his turn comes. Recently, Morne Morkel, an Indian bowling coach was said that he can bowl now. So it shows they are monitoring and working on this area. He is keen to help him, and that is actually good from India’s perspective,” concluded Srinivas. With IANS Inputs