"I was slightly surprised that he was sent at No. 5" - Sanjay Bangar on Nitish Kumar Reddy's knock in IND vs WI 2025 2nd Test

Former India player Sanjay Bangar has expressed surprise about Nitish Kumar Reddy being sent to bat at No. 5 in the second Test against the West Indies. He noted that the all-rounder failed to make the most of the opportunity despite being dropped early in his innings.

Reddy scored 43 runs off 54 deliveries as India declared their first innings at 518/5 on Day 2 (Saturday, October 11) in Delhi. The West Indies were 140/4 in their first innings at the close of play, trailing the hosts by 378 runs.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Bangar was asked about his thoughts on Reddy's knock.

"Luck favored Nitish Reddy a little. I was slightly surprised that he was sent at No. 5, but he couldn't make the most of that chance for a long time. His shot selection, even after a catch was missed, tells that it will take a little more time for Nitish Kumar Reddy to mature as a top-order batter," he responded.

The former India batting coach highlighted that the seam-bowling all-rounder lacked the requisite footwork for a low-bounce wicket.

"I feel he likes to play strokes naturally. Since this is a low-bounce wicket, you don't cover the stumps much on such pitches. Aakash Chopra said that his foot was not going forward. Sometimes it doesn't go forward because, if you cover your stumps, it's in your mind that the ball would hit your legs. So that was a slight awareness issue due to which he missed a few balls and got outside edges to some balls," Bangar elaborated.

Nitish Kumar Reddy didn't get to bat in the first Test against the West Indies in Ahmedabad. With Dhruv Jurel and Ravindra Jadeja having scored centuries in that game, Reddy might have been promoted ahead of the duo to give him some time in the middle.

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"He has the urge to hit sixes" - Sanjay Bangar on the deficiency in Nitish Kumar Reddy's batting in IND vs WI 2025 2nd Test

Nitish Kumar Reddy struck four fours and two sixes during his 43-run knock. [P/C: BCCI]

In the same discussion, Sanjay Bangar noted that Nitish Kumar Reddy has the urge to play big shots off deliveries that can be played along the ground.

"He has the ability against spin. However, because he has made his name at No. 6 or No. 7 while playing T20 cricket, he has the urge to hit sixes. The catch that was dropped was a ball to be driven. If he had played a drive and hit it in the gap, he would have got a four," he said.

The former India all-rounder added that a traditional top-order batter wouldn't have gotten dismissed the way the 22-year-old got out.

"So, somewhere or other, he has the urge to play big shots, and when you have such conditions laid out for you, the top-order batters, who know how to make big scores, don't get out playing shots like this. I feel that's a massive learning for Nitish Kumar Reddy," Bangar observed.

Nitish Kumar Reddy was dropped by Anderson Phillip at mid-off off Jomel Warrican's bowling on 20. The left-arm spinner eventually dismissed him, having him caught by Jayden Seales at long-on.

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Edited by Kartik Iyer