Nitish Reddy to debut as India playing XI for Perth Test against Australia announced by Ravi Shastri

Former India National Cricket Team head coach Ravi Shastri has revealed his India playing XI for the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.

Ravi Shastri has picked the pace-bowling all-rounder Nitish Reddy in his team for the Test series opener against Australia National Cricket Team, which will be played from November 22 in Perth.

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That's a tough one and selectors have a choice - Ravi Shastri on India's opening pair

India skipper Rohit Sharma is doubtful for the first Test against Australia as he is currently in Mumbai for the birth of his second child. In his absence, India will need a new player to partner Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top, and according to Ravi Shastri, Shubman Gill should be moved from No.3 and form the opening duo with Jaiswal.

Notably, KL Rahul and Abhimanyu Easwaran are in the India squad as designated openers, but Shastri picked Rahul at No.3.

"That's a tough one and selectors have a choice. You can push Shubman (Gill) back up the order and he has opened in the past in Australia," Ravi Shastri said in the ICC Review.

“Otherwise, you'll have to then make an alternative. Easwaran hasn't done that well (for India A in Australia). But it's how he's batting in the nets, how Rahul is batting in the nets. But that Shubman Gill option is also there."

Shastri advised the Indian coaches to keep an eye on the performance of the players in the nets and make selection decisions based on that. He stated:

"I used to always watch footwork as a coach. Sometimes runs are not important, but if a player is moving well, and if the feet are moving nicely, and you try and understand his game and you realize if he has the game for those conditions, if he has the right kind of shots for those kinds of pitches. These are the things you've got to look at when you start picking a side overseas.

"It's horses for courses in many ways. Most of the team will pick themselves, but there'll be one or two cases where you might have to just go and dig deep and go with gut feeling."

I think he can easily play as a (specialist) batter - Ravi Shastri on Dhruv Jurel

Rishabh Pant has sealed his spot in the Indian playing XI as the first-choice wicketkeeper-batsman and there has been calls to include another keeper-batter - Dhruv Jurel - in the playing XI because of his heroics with the bat in the unofficial Tests against Australia A.

According to Ravi Shastri, Dhruv Jurel is good enough to play a pure batter and he should be included in the India playing XI in the Perth Test over Sarfaraz Khan. He elaborated:

"I think he can easily play as a (specialist) batter. What impressed me most was his temperament, his calmness when the chips were down and the tightness he brought to his game - especially under pressure.

“Under pressure, you can see a lot of players struggling. You can see them being fidgety. You can see them being all over the shop. You can see those nerves coming through. But in this guy's case, his temperament stood out.

"Whenever the chips were down, even in that series against England (earlier this year) he stepped up to the plate. So I like what I saw and I'll be quite prepared to give him a go if he's in good nick. I think seeing his form, he got 80 and 60, will do his confidence a world of good. And he's got the range of shots as well."

Do they want to take Nitesh Reddy - Ravi Shastri

Ravi Shastri further said that India should only go with one spin-bowling option in the playing XI and it should be either Ravindra Jadeja or Washington Sundar. He stated:

"I would go with one spinner. I was in Perth last year when Pakistan played Australia. And in those conditions, to have two spinners is a luxury.

"For which one to pick now, Ashwin or Jadeja? So then again, it's current form over there. Jadeja brings a lot to the table with his fielding as well as batting. So he would get the edge more often than not overseas. But it's again how they see it and what the form looks like in the nets.”

At last, Ravi Shastri picked India's pace-bowling attack and included Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep as frontline bowlers followed by Nitish Reddy as an all-rounder. He said:

"I think the three I would pick straight away is Aakash Deep, (Mohammed) Siraj and Bumrah and then they (selectors) have to see the balance.

“Do they want two spinners? Do they want to risk going in with two spinners or do they want to take Nitesh Reddy? Nitesh Reddy will have to do a job like Shardul Thakur did as the fourth seamer."

Ravi Shastri's predicted XI (in Rohit Sharma's absence): Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja/Washington Sundar, Nitish Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj.