IND vs WI, 2nd ODI: Team India have triggered a considerable change to their bowling line-up for the second ODI against the West Indies at the Baraspara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on September 30, Wednesday. The Men in Blue have benched all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy for a genuine quick in Auqib Nabi. But what is the reason Reddy not playing?
IND vs WI, 2nd ODI: Why is Nitish Kumar Reddy not playing against the West Indies in Guwahati?
Reddy, who didn’t have much of a role to play in India’s eight-wicket victory in the series-opener, was announced as a swap for Nabi. The youngster, who snaffled figures of 5-0-45-1, has been suffering injuries quite regularly of late but Shubman Gill did not mention anything during the toss. Hence, the decision to keep the SunRisers Hyderabad star out of the playing XI must be purely tactical.
India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill(c), Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul(w), Naman Dhir, Ravindra Jadeja, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna.
Nabi, who made his name by playing a pivotal role in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ranji Trophy victory earlier this year, is featuring in his first international fixture. The 29-year-old right-arm pacer has claimed 56 wickets in 36 List A games at 27.37 apiece.
West Indies captain Shai Hope, who lost the toss for the second consecutive game, has announced four changes for the tourists in their bid to level the series.
West Indies (Playing XI): John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Shai Hope(w/c), Amir Jangoo, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Kemo Paul, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales, Vitel Lawes.
IND vs WI, 2nd ODI: West Indies face stiff task to stop Virat Kohli’s juggernaut
Meanwhile, a depleted West Indian side without key all-rounder Justin Greaves missing, are faced with a stiffer task to stop Virat Kohli’s juggernaut in the second ODI. The former Indian captain started his series with an unbeaten 88-ball 139 as the Men in Blue chased down the target of 296 with eight wickets to spare and only in 41.4 overs. Notably, the right-hander has played three ODIs in Guwahati before and scored centuries in all of them. Hence, he looks destined to compile one more based on current form.
The visitors also face the prospect of Rohit Sharma returning to form, with the explosive opener’s cut short on 32 in the first ODI. Despite his wicket, centuries from Kohli and Shubman Gill were more than enough to take India to a commanding win in Thiruvananthapuram. West Indies, who last won an ODI series against India anywhere in the year 2007, last beat the Men in Blue in an ODI in India in 2019. They inevitably need a big effort to consign Team India to a loss and force a series-decider. The home side, on the other hand, will not take their foot off the pedal and go for the series win.
The post IND vs WI: Why Is Nitish Kumar Reddy Not Playing In India’s 2nd ODI Against West Indies In Guwahati? appeared first on NewsX.