Nitish Kumar Reddy will miss India’s last two Tests against England at Old Trafford and the Kia Oval due to a knee injury sustained in a training session in Beckenham.
The All-Rounder appeared to be training in the gym at the time of the incident.
Reddy has not made a significant impact so far in this series; however, he did take the wickets of Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett in England’s first innings at Lord’s.
Embed from Getty ImagesReports are also saying that left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, who is yet to feature in this Series, is also a doubt for the fourth Test, after he sustained a thumb injury.
Though India has a squad of 17 players to choose from, these injuries are not a good sign for the future.
Singh gives them the option of left-arm pace, while Reddy gives them the extra batter, as well as his all-around capabilities in the field, and as a sixth bowling option.
While the inclusion of Washington Sundar gives them extra depth with the bat, Reddy would have given them more, especially a fourth seamer.
Thakur Or Kamboj To Replace Reddy?
So the question is, who steps in for Reddy at Old Trafford?
Do they go for the experience of Shardul Thakur, who has 33 wickets at 29.36, and 336 runs at 17.68 in 12 tests?
Embed from Getty ImagesOr should they take a look at Anshul Kamboj, who has 486 runs at an average of 16.20 and 79 wickets at 22.89?
Embed from Getty ImagesThe gut feeling is that they could go for the experience of Thakur, but as you are 2-1 down, why not take a bet on Kamboj, to find out what he is about?
Does Bethel Or Dawson Come In For Bashir?
Embed from Getty ImagesDespite being 2-1 up, there is a concern for England’s spin bowling department, as off-spinner Shoaib Bashir suffered an injury on his left hand after dropping a catch from Ravindra Jadeja off his bowling.
As the injury has put him out for the rest of the Series, the experience of Liam Dawson could be called into action.
35-year-old Dawson, who has just played three Tests for England, has not played a Test since 2017, against South Africa at Trent Bridge.
He has taken 21 wickets in nine matches for Hampshire this season, at an average of 40.04, and strike rate of 94.09.
Perhaps he could be given another chance to prove himself at the Test level?
Or perhaps the Left-handed All-rounder could be another option, who also brings more depth with the bat.
Embed from Getty ImagesBethel, who made his Test debut in New Zealand 2024, is undoubtedly a star in the making for England in all formats.
He has 12 wickets in 24 matches for Warwickshire in the County Championship Division One.
He or Joe Root could be an option for the second spinner, particularly if the pitch at Old Trafford is dry.
So this is the latest news regarding the fourth Test between England and India.
Stay tuned for more, at World In Sport.