Ravichandran Ashwin just dropped some bold opinions about India’s Test squad. The veteran spinner thinks Nitish Kumar Reddy shouldn’t play against South Africa. He’s pushing hard for Dhruv Jurel instead of Reddy in the XI.
Why Ashwin Doesn’t Want Nitish Reddy
Ashwin explained his thinking pretty clearly in a recent podcast. India already has enough quality pacers for the Test series. The spin department looks solid too, with multiple options available.
Nitish Reddy played against the West Indies in the last home series. But he barely got any chances to prove himself there. The team management didn’t use him in crucial match situations at all.
“There can be no debate around Sai Sudharsan. Dhruv Jurel should walk into the side, lower down the order. You don’t need Nitish Kumar Reddy because you have two pacers and three spinners. Dhruv Jurel has to play. Someone who is in good form, please utilise that. He is in good form and has been performing well,” Ashwin said.
His performances haven’t screamed loud enough honestly. Ashwin feels India doesn’t need another all-rounder right now anyway. The current squad balance works fine without adding Reddy to it.
Dhruv Jurel Deserves His Spot More
Ashwin is backing Dhruv Jurel big time for this series. The young wicketkeeper-batter is hitting the ball brilliantly these days. His recent form has been absolutely outstanding across all matches.
Jurel played some memorable knocks against South Africa A recently. Those innings showed exactly what he brings to the table. His glove work behind the stumps looks sharp and confident, too.
“When England came here for a series in 2024, Jurel played a brilliant knock in Ranchi. He is in the form of his life; he smashed twin hundreds against South Africa A. The first one came when the team was in trouble, so I think the management has a decision to make,” he added.
India needs someone who’s scoring runs consistently right now. Jurel fits that description perfectly at this very moment. Ashwin wants the selectors to back in-form players over names.
Spin Bowling Combination Looks Set Already
The spinning department already has too many quality options available. Ravindra Jadeja brings his usual all-round brilliance to the team. Kuldeep Yadav offers wicket-taking abilities with his wrist spin magic.
Washington Sundar adds depth with both bat and ball regularly. Even Axar Patel’s spot isn’t guaranteed with this much competition around. Ashwin believes team management should pick players based on current form. Bold decisions win Test matches more than safe choices do.
The South Africa series starts soon, and India needs their best XI.
