Nitish Reddy set to be dropped as India ponder playing two spinners at MCG: Reports

Despite being the fourth-highest run-getter in the series and having top-scored for India in three of the four innings across the first two Tests, Nitish Kumar Reddy might warm the bench for the Boxing Day Test between India and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCB), starting December 26 (Thursday).

According to reports on Revvsportz and Times of India, team India are pondering playing two spinners for the fourth Test, which will mean an axing for the in-form Reddy. The 21-year-old is expected to be replaced by Washington Sundar, who played the first Test in Perth but sat out the next two.

Sundar replacing Reddy is expected to be the only change in the starting XI, but the visitors are reportedly considering making several tactical shakeups. 

Skipper Rohit Sharma, who batted at No.6 in Adelaide and Brisbane, is expected to move to the top of the order and is likely to partner Yashasvi Jaiswal. That will mean a demotion to No.3 for the in-form KL Rahul. 

While Rahul is expected to bat at No.3, Shubman Gill is likely to move down to No.6 and take the batting position of Reddy. Should Sundar replace Reddy in the XI - as is being speculated - then the off-spinner will bat at No.8 below Ravindra Jadeja.

The last time India played a Boxing Day Test at the MCG (2020), they opted to go with two spinners (Ravichandran Ashwin and Jadeja). Notably, the MCG has become much more spin-friendly since the pandemic as compared to the previous few years, with spinners’ bowling average dropping to 30.7 (since 2020) from 52.3 (2015 to 2019).

That being said, India’s spinners have not had success in this series so far, having taken just three wickets at an average of 67.00 and an economy of 3.50.