Team India registered a commanding victory in Tests at home. They defeated the West Indies by 7 wickets in the second Test at Delhi to seal the two-match series 2-0.
It was also Shubman Gill's first Test series win as captain. While India's victory was comprehensive, what surprised many was Nitish Reddy being picked as an allrounder but not bowling a single over.
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India's head coach, Gautam Gambhir, and captain, Shubman Gill, have now commented on the matter. They revealed that the focus is on grooming the player, and the decision on whether he will bowl depends on the conditions.
Why did Reddy not bowl against the West Indies in the second Test?
While India bowled a total of 200 overs in the second Test against the West Indies, India's pace bowling all-rounder Reddy did not bowl even a single over in the entire game.
Reddy's absence from the bowling unit game was a surprise to many, including the experts, as many even speculated that the pacer might have picked up an injury. In the first match, he had bowled just four overs before being taken out of the attack.
However, Gambhir has now explained the reason, stating that the call was left to the captain, who didn't feel the need to get overs out of the pacer.
"It's important for a young player to play in home conditions as well. It's important to groom Nitish Kumar Reddy, not many seam bowling all-rounders. It's important, depending on the captain and conditions, on how many overs he bowls," said Gambhir as reported by RevSportz.
Shubman Gill opens up on not bowling Reddy in the second Test
Reddy is just one of the few pace-bowling all-rounders that India has produced. He is much like the experienced Hardik Pandya, who masters the role for India at present.
"He didn’t really get to bowl in this match. We don’t want players to only play matches overseas. That puts a lot of pressure on the players. We want to groom certain players that we think can help us win matches overseas because that’s been a challenge for us," said Gill.
Gill said, "He didn’t really get to bowl in this match. We don’t want players to only play matches overseas. That puts a lot of pressure on the players. We want to groom certain players that we think can help us win matches overseas because that’s been a challenge for us.”…
— Bharath Ramaraj (@Fancricket12) October 14, 2025
The young all-rounder for Vizag has already featured for India in eight Tests, bowling on the majority of occasions. In his short test career, he has picked up a total of eight wickets.
What's next for Nitish Reddy?
While he had a very little role to play in the home Test series against the West Indies, Reddy will soon be amongst the thick of things as he travels to Australia this week.
The young man has been picked for both ODIs and T20Is against Australia, and with Hardik Pandya's injury-related absence, he might be handed the India cap in the 50-over format.
When is the India vs Australia ODI series? Full Schedule and Date
The India vs. Australia ODI series will commence on Sunday, October 19th. The two sides will play three games in total, which will serve as good preparation for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
| Match | Date | Time | Venue |
| India vs Australia 1st ODI | October 19 | 9:00 AM IST | Perth |
| India vs Australia 2nd ODI | October 23 | 9:00 AM IST | Adelaide |
| India vs Australia 3rd ODI | October 25 | 9:00 AM IST | Sydney |
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