Reddy has not managed to make a significant impact with either bat or ball during his chances across formats, and Ten Doeschate did not hesitate to highlight this issue.
“With Nitish, we continuously discuss his development and the importance of game time, but often when he gets that opportunity, he fails to perform meaningfully,” Ten Doeschate remarked to reporters following the match.
He pointed out that Reddy had the chance to make an impression in the second ODI but only scored 20 runs and went wicketless in his two overs as New Zealand chased down India’s 284, winning by seven wickets and tying the three-match series.
“For a player who is trying to establish himself, particularly with the bat on Wednesday, it was an ideal situation to come in. Spending 15 overs at the crease was a prime opportunity to make a case for selection,” the former Dutch international added.
Ten Doeschate acknowledged that, looking back, India might have preferred to include a third spinner instead of Reddy, especially since New Zealand’s spinners capitalized effectively on the playing conditions.
“If we examine the combinations we’ve previously utilized, an extra spinner has often been our preference. Bringing Ayush (Badoni) into the squad at the last moment due to Washy (Washington Sundar) being unavailable led us to believe Nitish was better suited for this pitch,” he explained.
“Observing how New Zealand’s spinners bowled, we could have benefited from having another spinner.” In a season where Indian icons, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, returned to the top domestic 50-over tournament for their respective state teams per BCCI’s directives, Ten Doeschate noted that Rohit is “short on cricket”.
“Rohit, especially tonight, faced challenging conditions for batting. It didn’t seem easy to score runs. In the short timeframe from the first ODI, he hasn’t displayed the fluency he’s known for, which could pose a challenge due to limited play between series,” Ten Doeschate remarked.
When asked if Rohit is consciously adjusting his batting style based on the wicket, he replied, “I don’t believe it’s a deliberate adjustment.
“He’s a formidable player, but he is also a nuanced player at his core. He possesses great timing… so when the pitch conditions aren’t favorable, finding his usual rhythm becomes more challenging.
(With PTI inputs)
