• Source:JND

India vs West Indies 2nd Test: India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate revealed that the team management plans to stick with the same combination for the second Test against the West Indies, giving all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy an extended opportunity to hone his skills as seam-bowling all-rounder.

Shubman Gill-led India will look to wrap up the series in style when they face the West Indies in the second and final Test from October 10-14, aiming for a convincing series-wrapping victory to follow up their dominant win in the opener.

"I'd say we're unlikely to change the combination. One of the objectives, one of the sort of medium-term objectives, is to develop a seam bowling all-rounder for India," Ten Doeschate said on Wednesday.

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Ryan Ten Doeschate mentioned that the team management is keen on nurturing Nitish Reddy as a seam-bowling all-rounder, who brings value to overseas tours, rather than judging him by one outing.

"It's very important when we go away on tours that we have that position coming. We didn't get a very good look at Nitish last week, so I think it's actually a very good opportunity to give Nitish another go and not alter the balance of the team. We think he's a fantastic seam bowling all-rounder," Ten Doeschate explained.

The assistant coach also admitted that the most prominent challenge for seam-bowling all-rounders in India has often been physical durability rather than skills.

"A bowler with all seam... I think the biggest sort of limitation to what he's seen could be his body. He's not the first all-rounder that we've seen in this country. He's perfect on his heart. He's the same sort of character of player where we don't doubt their skills at all, but for their bodies to hold up to play Test cricket is a different matter," Ten Doeschate said.

Ten Doeschate praised Nitish's batting controls in Australia, calling him "a quality all-rounder" with the character to thrive at the highest level. He has a Test hundred at the MCG.

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"Nitish, I think he's shown everyone in Australia just how good he is as a batter. The challenge for him is going to be to make sure that he gets game time in between the away series," he added.

"Like I answered the first question, I think a series like this where you look at the combinations, it's more important to look ahead and see how he gets game time and a chance to develop his bowling. But the crux of your question is we really like him and we think he's a quality all-rounder," the India assistant coach said.