Watch: Virat Kohli hands over debut cap to Nitish Kumar Reddy; this Indian legend does the honour for Harshit Rana

Team India handed out two exciting debuts ahead of the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Optus Stadium, Perth. It was a surprise that India played two debutants in just the first Test of the series but at the same time, it was a proud moment for both of them.

The first debutant of the day was the allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy who received his maiden Test cap from the legendary Virat Kohli. On the other hand, veteran offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin handed out the maiden international cap to fast bowler Harshit Rana.

Both the debutants looked happy after receiving their respective maiden Test caps as the other players cheered for them during the team huddle. Both of them are quite exciting prospects and have the ability to become future stars as well.

Also read: Big boost for India: Rohit Sharma's involvement in Perth Test Confirmed

Watch: Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana receive maiden Test caps

WHAT IT MEANS! 🇮🇳🥹

Proud moments for young #NitishKumarReddy & #HarshitRana as they receive their maiden Test caps for #TeamIndia. Go well, boys! 👏

📺 #AUSvINDOnStar 👉 1st Test, Day 1, LIVE NOW! #ToughestRivalry pic.twitter.com/3vaXegIt4m

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) November 22, 2024

The debuts were already expected for India but playing both debutants together was a bit of a surprise, especially given these players have hardly played on Australian surfaces before.

Both of them looked raring to go and were eager to get on the field as quickly as possible. However, it will be a huge challenge for both of them as they face a settled and solid Australian team in their conditions.

Nitish Kumar Reddy's first-class record

Allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy is a huge talent who has emerged from Andhra Pradesh. Reddy does not have much experience of playing first-class cricket which makes his selection even more interesting. He has played 23 first-class matches in which he has scored 779 runs at an average of 21 and picked up 56 wickets at an average of 26.98.

But he certainly provides with a quality batting and a seam bowling option. Since India need a good fast-bowling allrounder in the future, the 21-year-old can fulfill those shoes. He can prove to be an X-factor in overseas conditions for India.

Nitish Kumar Reddy's first-class record

Meanwhile, Harshit Rana is a raw talent emerging from Delhi. A young, aggressive, and tall fast bowler, Harshit Rana, has the ability to bowl at a high pace and can generate good bounce with his height.

He is also a handy batter down the order and can contribute crucial runs. Just like Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana does not have a lot of experience in first-class cricket. He has played just 10 matches and picked up 43 wickets at an average of 24. Surprisingly, he has scored 469 runs with the bat at an impressive average of 42.62.

Earlier, India won the toss and Jasprit Bumrah elected to bat first. Bumrah is leading the team in this match in place of the regular captain Rohit Sharma, who is not with the team to be with his wife for the birth of their second child.