A file image of Indian bowler Nitish Kumar Reddy
| Photo Credit: AFP

Ever since Kapil Dev bowed out of the game after an ODI against the West Indies at Faridabad in 1994, India has been on a perennial search for the fast bowling all-rounder.

Early rival wickets and the insurance cover of runs down the order is a sought after trait in cricket. Kapil offered that and more, including safe hands and the 1983 World Cup!

Practical demands

Four decades since Kapil stepped aside, the quest for his replacement is now constricted by practical demands. The candidate should bowl at a reasonable speed, not necessarily express, and should score a few vital runs, not perhaps an unbeaten 175. Many cricketers were force-fitted into this toned-down requirement.

To be fair, Manoj Prabhakar was a strong contender, and at one time he opened the batting and bowling. Later, it was Ajit Agarkar’s turn. And over the years, Irfan Pathan, Stuart Binny, Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur, to name a few, have all been seen through the prism of the Kapil lens.

Even if M.S. Dhoni, earlier, and Rishabh Pant now, give that all-round punch, both as wicket-keeper and marauding batter, the seam-bowling willow-wielder is very much part of the selectors’ shopping list.

This demand for a player, who will lend balance, is again at play Down Under. Nitish Kumar seems to have answered the query for now and bowling coach Morne Morkel’s words at Perth, seem prophetic: “He is one of the young guys who has got that sort of batting all-round ability. He (as a bowler) can hold one end up and he hits the bat a little bit harder than you think. It is a lovely opportunity for him to fill that all-rounder spot. He is a player you can keep your eye on in this series.”

In the current Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, his maiden foray in Tests, Nitish has scored 163, averaging 54.33, and like Pant, has played shots that defy conventional field settings. The lofted drives straight down the ground or the scoops on either side behind the stumps have been from the top-drawer even if Pat Cummins nailed him on the ramp-shot at the Adelaide Oval where Australia pulled one back and levelled the series 1-1.

Nitish has also offered relief to mainstream speedsters by being the fourth seamer. He has the added bonus of two wickets. The 21-year-old is not a finished product and he will be a subject of intense scrutiny in rival camps with data being scoured and technical chinks analysed threadbare. These early days are often a surprise, and to replicate success when the opposition ranks have firmed up their plans will not be easy.

As the Indians landed in rain-swept Brisbane on Wednesday (December 11, 2024), Nitish, just like Washington Sundar, the spin all-rounder, are all part of the youth brigade, expected to flower. If Nitish gets his opportunities in the remaining three fixtures, starting with the third Test at the Gabba here from Saturday (December 14, 2024), and does well, it will surely leave Rohit Sharma’s men in a happy space.

A file image of Australian opener Nathan McSweeney
| Photo Credit: AP

Stepping into David Warner’s shoes can be a daunting task and Nathan McSweeney is dealing with that onerous challenge in the current Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. Warner’s buddy Usman Khawaja is his partner and matters get even more delicate as the former opener is now keeping a close eye as a commentator.

Familiar territory

McSweeney, though, has Gabba, his home ground to lean on. Back in a familiar environment here on Wednesday (December 11, 2024), the opener respectfully dealt with Warner’s shadow: “David was an unbelievable player with massive shoes to fill when he left. If I can be half the player he was, I am going alright.” And then he added: “A Gabba ground I know really well, so hopefully I can spend some time out there and put Australia in a good position.”

Drawing strength from the 67-run second-wicket partnership that he shared with Marnus Labuschagne during the second Test’s first innings at the Adelaide Oval, McSweeney said: “Marnus made an unbelievable 64 in the context of the game. For us to come out and get through a tricky period was massive. Hopefully I can spend some more time out there with him. I got two good balls in Perth. I had some confidence to go to Adelaide and really trusted my game.”

With a morning drizzle serenading Brisbane, the weather may get sticky but local boy McSweeney felt it was a false alarm: “Obviously a bit of a weather in the last few days, but it’s a long way from the game (third Test). At the Gabba, it has great bounce, can seam around, and if there are overheads (clouds) it can swing around a bit. As a batter you prepare for all scenarios. It’s definitely a new-ball wicket and if you can get past that, it’s a lovely ground to bat at.”

Virat Kohli during the practice session ahead of India vs New Zealand 3rd Test at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. It’s high time India’s batters come good in the first innings
| Photo Credit: Emmanual Yogini

So dominant has India been at home, especially in the last decade, that visiting sides rarely have the upper hand in India. But over the next five days – despite the rest of the country being in a festive mood – Rohit Sharma and Co. will have to deal with the dreadful thought of India being whitewashed in a Test series, that too at home!

What seemed unthinkable till a fortnight ago appears to be a real possibility over the next five days. Tom Latham’s New Zealand has already created a record in Pune by winning its first series in India, and being the first team to beat India in India since 2012. The upbeat Kiwis will be hoping to shatter another streak, of completing a clean sweep in India by a visiting team in almost a quarter of a century.

Albeit in a two-Test series, South Africa had beaten India 2-0 in 2000. Since then, India has never found itself in such an awkward territory. Add to it the Wankhede Test match being India’s last outing ahead of a gruelling five-Test tour to Australia and the last of the home season Tests becomes even more important.

That’s not it. Thanks to the sorry losses in the last two weeks, India finds itself in a precarious position when it comes to qualifying for the World Test Championship final. Winning four of the remaining six Tests – including the Wankhede Test – is a must for India to have a clear passage into the WTC final.

Considering all the facets, it’s high time India’s batting comes good in the first innings. The lack of a good first innings total – 46 followed by 156 in entirely different conditions in Bengaluru and Pune, respectively – is concerning. In this aspect, India will be banking on the three hometown heroes – captain Rohit, his opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan – to set the tone.

Barring Rohit, the other two have had at least one notable knock in the series so far, while Jaiswal has been the stand-out India performer this calendar year. If the trio can give the home fans a reason to rejoice, especially in the first innings, India can hope to board a plane to Australia next week high on confidence.

But the conditions at the Wankhede are set to be starkly different than the hometowners are used to. The surface at the Wankhede Stadium is likely to be a turning track – posing a challenger as severe as, if not worse than Pune – contrary to the hard deck they are used to on the red-soil surface.

A well-oiled Kiwi spin combination will be licking its fingers based on the surface. After all, Ajaz Patel – the hero of the last Test at the Big W, in 2021 – and Mitchell Santner – who ran away with the honours last week in Pune – occupy the top two slots in the list of overseas spinners with best match-figures in a Test in India.

India will be hoping for the veteran spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and R. Ashwin to come up with a trademark bowling show in tandem. Unless the spin duo sizzles and the batting unit dazzles, India will find it extremely difficult to stop an on-song Kiwi unit.

The teams (from):

India: Rohit Sharma (Capt.), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, K.L. Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep and Washington Sundar.

New Zealand: Tom Latham (Capt.), Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee and Will Young.