Shardul Thakur or Dhruv Jurel - who should replace Nitish Reddy in India's playing 11 for ENG vs IND 2025 4th Test?

All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy is ruled out of the ongoing Test series between England and India. Ahead of the fourth Test, Reddy suffered a knee injury while training. Scans revealed significant ligament damage.

The fourth Test is set to begin on Wednesday, July 23, at Old Trafford, Manchester. With two crucial Tests to go, this comes as a huge blow for the visitors.

In two games, the all-rounder scored just 45 runs and picked up three wickets with the ball. However, he did create an impact as the fourth seamer in the third Test at Lord's. He bagged two big wickets in a single over.

India are 1-2 down in the series heading into the Manchester Test. They lost the opening game by five wickets at Headingley. The visitors made a comeback with a mammoth 336-run win at Edgbaston in the second Test. However, they suffered a heartbreaking 22-run defeat in the third match at Lord's.

The fourth game is important for India. They are in a must-win situation to keep their hopes of winning the series alive. With Nitish Kumar Reddy ruled out, it will be interesting to see who replaces him.

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India have a like-for-like option in Shardul Thakur

India have Shardul Thakur as a like-for-like replacement for the medium pace bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy. Shardul played the first Test at Headingley. He scored just five runs and picked up two wickets.

However, he impressed in the recent domestic season with both bat and ball. The 33-year-old scored 505 runs from 9 matches for Mumbai in the 2024/25 Ranji Trophy. He averaged 42.08 with a hundred and four half-centuries. Shardul picked up 35 wickets at an average of 22.62.

He has played 12 Tests for India, scoring 336 runs with four fifties and has 33 wickets. The all-rounder has played five Tests in England overall, scoring 178 runs with three half-centuries apart from bagging 12 wickets.

Shardul coming in for Nitish Kumar Reddy will maintain the balance in the side. He can play as the fourth seamer without the team having to compromise on batting depth.

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Will Dhruv Jurel play as a specialist batter?

Dhruv Jurel kept wickets as a substitute for the injured Rishabh Pant at Lord's. Jurel impressed in the India A games before the series. With scores of 94, 53*, 52, and 28, he made three fifties from four innings.

The right-handed wicketkeeper is not a bad choice. While he does add strength to the batting, his inclusion could hamper the balance of the side. Dhruv Jurel will only keep wickets if Pant fails to recover and play in Manchester. If not, playing him as a specialist batter would mean that India will be short of a bowling option.

With the fourth Test being a must-win game, the visitors cannot afford to compromise on the bowling attack.

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Why is Shardul Thakur the right choice to replace Nitish Kumar Reddy?

Shardul Thakur being the right choice to replace Nitish Kumar Reddy goes beyond him being a like-for-like replacement alone. The wicket at Manchester generally offers bounce and is likely to be pace-friendly. Shardul, with his knack for picking wickets, can be the perfect option for a fourth seamer.

The fourth seamer plays a crucial role. Though Nitish bowled fewer overs at Lord's, he created an impact with his twin strikes. Further, the injury concerns for India go beyond Reddy. Pacers Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh, also suffering from injuries at the moment, remain unavailable for the fourth Test.

These injury blows mean India will need an addition to the pace attack, which is where Shardul fits in. Moreover, the visitors will not want to risk playing Jasprit Bumrah with just three seamers in the side. Keeping Bumrah's workload management in mind, it would not be ideal to overbowl the ace pacer. Again, a fourth seamer will be required to avoid this situation, playing in favor of the all-rounder over Dhruv Jurel in this case.

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Edited by Rishab Vm