'Was expecting my name to be announced' - Nitish Kumar Reddy reflects on maiden Test call-up

Nitish Kumar Reddy impressed everyone with his performance for Sunrisers Hyderabad in Indian Premier League 2024. The all-rounder scored 303 runs in 13 games at an average of 33.67. Besides striking at 142.92 with the bat, he picked three wickets. As a result, he was included in the Indian squad for the T20I series against Bangladesh and played his first international game on October 6.

The 21-year-old provides a seaming option for the team looking for a fast-bowling all-rounder besides Hardik Pandya. With India touring Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in November, Nitish said he was expecting to be picked after he was included in the 18-man squad. He also added that, as he is set to play for India A too ahead of the series, and banked on his recent performance to get featured in the playing XI

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"The talks were going on. I was expecting my name to be announced, but not before India 'A' matches. I thought it might depend on my performance in these 'A' matches. But it seems I have been able to show some promise to them, so I guess they hope I'll do well,” said Reddy, talking to The Telegraph.

Just going to respond to the situation: Reddy 

Australian conditions are touted as bowler friendly, where batters tend to struggle in comparison with the one holding red cherry. The pacy wickets demand composure of different level and bounce has been a concern for subcontinent batters over the years. Nitish provided a glimpse into his mindset to tackle the challenging conditions and hoped to come good if given a chance.

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"I will stick to my role. As for the others (all-rounders), I just like the way they bowl and bat. It doesn't mean I will play like them. I'm just going to respond to the situation. If the situation demands me to play a big shot, I will play it. If the situation demands me to play till Stumps, I'll be ready for that too. I can do both," Nitish added.