‘Best batter at this point’ – Aakash Chopra praises Nitish Kumar Reddy after terrific start to his Test career

Young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has been India’s best batter during the ongoing Australian tour according to Aakash Chopra. The 21-year-old who made his debut during the first Test in Perth has already scored 163 runs with the bat. Nitish was India’s top scorer in both innings of the second Test match in Adelaide. 

Aakash Chopra was live on his YouTube channel where the discussion veered towards the youngster. One fan asked the former India star if Reddy should be pushed up in the batting order during the final three games of the series. Nitish Reddy has been batting in the lower middle order so far. 

The former cricketer turned commentator and replied, “I will be fair. The temptation is there to make him bat slightly up the order because he is batting so well. In fact, he is the best batter in India at this point in time. It seems like no one is batting better or more confidently than him, and so he should be batted up the order.”

‘I don’t see a space’ – Aakash Chopra’s blunt take on Nitish Reddy’s batting spot

Team India batters haven’t got going so far in the first two games of the series. Yashasvi Jaiswal has been the only batter to score a century for the visitors. In the second Test in Adelaide, none of the visiting batter even crossed the fifty-run mark. Nitish Kumar Reddy batted well in the 2nd essay to help stave of an innings loss. 

Aakash Chopra further said, “However, in whose place will you play him? Ahead of whom will you send him? Two openers go and after that Shubman Gill comes. After that, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant and Rohit Sharma come. In whose place will you get him to bat? That's point number one. He is not getting a place to bat up the order.”

“Secondly, that kind of batting works at the number he is batting. You don't know how he will play if he is made to bat up the order. There is no doubt that he can bat, but at this point in time, I don't see a space”. With the batting talents India has despite the lack of runs, Nitish Reddy looks destined to bat in the lower order during the current series. 

The 47-year-old ended the chat by saying, “How will you make him bat up the order? I feel you won't be able to do that. I totally get that he is looking very good, defends well and does good hitting, and we have seen fantastic ways of playing in all four of his innings. He looks like a batter who can bat in the top five but there is no place as of now.”