Leg and Off: Should India promote Nitish Reddy up the order for the remainder of BGT 2024-25?

Nitish Reddy, 21, produced one of the most incredible rearguard actions on Australian soil in the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Melbourne. Coming into bat with India reeling at 191/6 in response to Australia's 474, Nitish showcased impeccable technique, delectable stroke play, and composure beyond his years to bail the side out of trouble.

The right-hander finished unbeaten 105* off 176 deliveries, mixing caution with aggression to perfection in recording his maiden international century.

Before we go any further, here is a fun fact to highlight the magnitude of the youngster's achievement:

Test centuries in Australia: Nitish Reddy - 1, Joe Root - 0, Rohit Sharma - 0

With Nitish's century and consistent batting throughout the series comes talk of whether the Andhra-born cricketer should bat higher up the Indian batting order for the remainder of the Australian series.

He has batted at No.7 and 8 until this point and former head coach Ravi Shastri firmly believed the time had come to move the young batter up the order.

"I feel that the way he's batted, this is the last time he will bat at 7. To get the balance of the side, you need him to go higher up the order, either 5 or 6 and then you have the opportunity of playing 5 bowlers to take the 20 wickets, and he's given that kind of confidence to the selectors and the team management and the captain," he said on Star Sports [Via India Today].

On that note, let us analyze all the possible parameters to figure out if Nitish Reddy warrants promotion up the order for the rest of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

#1 Eye-Test and Numbers

BORDER GAVASKAR TROPHY TEST: DEC 28 NRMA Insurance Boxing Day Test - Source: Getty

Purely on the look of his batting and the output in numbers, it is a no-brainer that Nitish Reddy should be batting much higher than No.7 and 8. The 21-year-old is stunningly India's leading run-scorer in the ongoing series with 284 runs at an average of 71 and a strike rate of almost 67.

The youngster has never been dismissed early in any of his six innings with 47 balls being the lowest in a completed batting stint. Yet, until the ongoing Boxing Day Test, Nitish had three 40s with the highest score of only 42 - a clear indication that he ran out of partners batting down the order.

Beyond the numbers, Nitish has looked at utmost ease against pace and spin-off his front and back foot. Team India must maximize his incredible form, confidence, and technical prowess for the remainder of the series by batting him up the order.

Verdict: Purely on his success thus far tangibly and intangibly, Nitish Kumar Reddy deserves to bat in the top six.

#2 Team Balance

Could India help themselves with a fourth seamer in Sydney?

There is little to disagree with Ravi Shastri's remarks on the invaluable team balance that is possible by batting Nitish Kumar Reddy in the top five or six. Should the Sydney track for the final Test warrant an extra bowler, batting Nitish in the top six provides India the luxury without compromising on their batting.

Whether India can replace one of their existing top-five is a discussion for another day. But they can accommodate Nitish in the top five and enable a possible four seamers and two spinners combination in the final Test if they want to.

Even otherwise, a confident Nitish playing more balls when the Aussie bowlers are at their freshest might help those coming behind him combat easier conditions. For starters, the visitors should certainly give the idea of him batting higher a go as it provides them the best opportunity of winning or saving the contest on Day 5.

Verdict: Nitish Reddy batting higher up the order will undoubtedly aid India's team balance and variety.

#3 How realistic is the 'Nitish Reddy Promotion' fantasy?

India could consider Nitish replacing an out-of-form and over-ambitious Rishabh Pant at No.5 [Credit: Getty]

Let us assume this will likely be India's playing XI for Sydney and obviously for the second innings in the ongoing Melbourne Test. In such a case, how realistically possible is Nitish Kumar Reddy's promotion to the top six of the batting order?

The top three will almost certainly be Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, and KL Rahul in the second innings of this Test at Sydney unless the skipper springs in another juggling act to No.6.

With Virat Kohli a certainty at No.4, it leaves Reddy's promotion case with two scenarios - Replacing Rishabh Pant at No.5 or Ravindra Jadeja at No.6. Considering Pant's surprisingly pedestrian run in this series with an average of only 20.66 after six innings and his extravagant stroke play, a more technically sound and in-form Nitish at No.5 in his place sounds logical.

Should India instead want a right-hander between the two left-handers in Pant and Jadeja, they can also use Nitish at No.6 instead of Jadeja. One must remember that several past instances exist where a promising batter lower down the order has struggled when moved too many spots ahead.

However, moving from No.7 to 6 or 6 should not be much of a shift mentally or from a cricketing standpoint, making Nitish's promotion by a position or two a win-win for him and the side.

Verdict: Nitish Reddy can replace either Rishabh Pant or Ravindra Jadeja at No.5 and 6 and the change wouldn't be drastic while also being impactful.

Conclusion

Nitish Reddy's incredible form throughout the ongoing Australian series makes his promotion a no-brainer. Yet, unlike certain similar situations where an idea is worthwhile to fantasize about but practically impossible, Team India has several avenues to explore Nitish's promotion to No.5 or 6.

In each case, the positives like team balance and maximizing the productivity of an in-form batter are aplenty, with the negatives, if any, negligible.

Final Verdict: Team India should promote Nitish Reddy to No.5 or 6 in the batting order for the remainder of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.