December 5, 2024: Ahead of the second Test of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in Adelaide, India skipper Rohit Sharma praised the talented youngsters Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy, who impressed during their debuts in the Perth Test. Both players showed remarkable maturity and skill in their first outing for Team India, contributing significantly to India’s dominant 295-run victory.
Nitish Reddy, the 21-year-old all-rounder, was particularly outstanding. He scored 79 runs across both innings of the Perth Test, including being India’s top scorer in the first innings. Additionally, he claimed a wicket in the fourth innings, showcasing his all-round ability. Meanwhile, Harshit Rana, the pacer, made a strong impact with the ball, taking three wickets in the first innings and one in the fourth, wreaking havoc against Australia’s batters.
At the pre-match press conference ahead of the Adelaide Test, Rohit Sharma expressed his admiration for both players. “It was very impressive to watch them,” Rohit said, noting that despite hearing only about their talents before the series, he had seen them perform in various IPL games, especially Nitish in T20 cricket. “They certainly possess a lot of talent and clearly, in the first Test in Perth, it never felt like they were playing their first game,” Rohit added.
The India captain also highlighted the positive body language and confident mindset both players brought to the field. “Right from the word go, they were in it, they wanted to be in that battle. Both of these guys showed great body language as well. That is the kind of guys you need in the squad when you want to win big series,” Rohit said, emphasizing how important it is to have players with the right mentality and energy in the squad.
Rohit’s praise for the young duo came with high hopes for their future performances. “A very impressive start to their career. I can only hope that they continue to play as long as possible for the team and keep putting in those performances,” he added.
India will head into the second Test, which will be played in a day-night format in Adelaide, with a 1-0 lead in the series. The team will be hoping to build on their dominant performance in Perth and carry that momentum forward in the upcoming match.
