Shardul Thakur vs Nitish Reddy: Harbhajan Singh picks his choice for England Tests
Former India cricket Harbhajan Singh has backed Shardul Thakur over Nitish Kumar Reddy for one of the all-rounder's role in the Indian XI for the upcmoming five-match Test series against England, giving the senior campaigner a slight edge. With fierce competition for spots in the 18-member squad, the battle for selection intensifies ahead of the first Test, beginning on June 20 in Leeds.advertisementShardul Thakur has returned to the Test fold for the first time since December 2023, on the back of consistent performances in domestic cricket and during the 2025 IPL season. Nitish Kumar Reddy, on the other hand, impressed in his maiden Test series after being fast-tracked for the tour of Australia. He scored 298 runs across five Tests, including a century and four scores above 35 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.Speaking to the PTI news agency, Harbhajan made a case for Shardul, emphasising India's need for a fast-bowling all-rounder who can make a meaningful contribution with the ball, while also offering depth with the bat.
'India needs a bowler who can bat a bit. The batting line-up extends till No. 7, and at No. 8, you need someone who can take wickets and contribute with the bat—not just a batsman who bowls a little,' Harbhajan said.advertisement'That's where I think Shardul has an edge over Nitish Reddy. Nitish is a proper batsman who can definitely bowl, but we haven't seen much of his bowling in the IPL.''Gautam (Gambhir) is there. He's a very capable coach, and I'm confident he'll make the right decision,' he added.ADVANTAGE SHARDUL?As Harbhajan pointed out, Nitish bowled only five overs across 13 matches during the 2025 IPL season. However, the young all-rounder has been working hard to increase his bowling workload ahead of the England Test series.Both Shardul and Nitish featured in India's two four-day warm-up matches earlier this month but struggled with the ball. That said, Shardul stood out in the intra-squad match between India and India A, scoring a century on Day 3 to complement a solid bowling display.Shardul also brings with him valuable red-ball experience in English conditions. The Mumbai all-rounder has taken 10 wickets in four Tests in England, including a four-wicket haul during the 2021–22 series.Known for his knack of breaking crucial partnerships, Shardul bowled over 200 overs in the domestic season, taking 35 wickets in nine matches in Ranji Trophy 2024-25 season, giving him greater bowling mileage and match fitness.Meanwhile, Harbhajan also voiced support for playing both Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav in the first Test at Headingley, suggesting that a two-spinner strategy could prove effective in English conditions.INDIA'S TEST SQUAD FOR THE ENGLAND TOURadvertisementBatters: Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun NairWicketkeepers: Dhruv Jurel, Rishabh Pant (vice-captain)All-rounders: Nitish Reddy, Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, Ravindra JadejaBowlers: Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj You May Also Like
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