He probably could have played the last game, but he was a little sore, which was unfortunate.
Chennai: India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate believes Nitish Kumar Reddy is the ideal long-term replacement for Hardik Pandya as India's premier batting all-rounder. Pandya was ruled out of the Afghanistan ODI series after suffering a leg strain during training at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. In his absence, Nitish impressed by claiming two wickets in the rain-shortened first ODI. However, a niggle kept him out of the second match.
Ten Doeschate assured that Nitish remains firmly in India's plans and will receive ample opportunities. "We may need to look at Nitish again in terms of team combination. He probably could have played the last game, but he was a little sore, which was unfortunate. He needs to get a run of games as well," Ryan said.
Ryan highlighted the value Pandya brings to the side and why finding a player capable of filling that role is challenging. "Our all-rounder pool is very strong, but most of them are bowling all-rounders. When Hardik plays, he adds a different dimension because he's such a powerful batter and an outstanding finisher. Finding someone who can finish games and also contribute with the ball is rare."
Speaking about Nitish's development, Ryan said: "Over the last 18 months, Nitish has shown glimpses of how important he can be for this team, particularly in this format. His body is getting stronger and stronger, and I feel he is the natural successor, or at least the ideal backup, to Hardik."
Ryan also revealed that India are likely to rotate players for Saturday's match, with fast bowler Arshdeep Singh among those expected to be rested.
"We will make a few changes from the first two games. Part of the plan coming into the series was to test different combinations and ensure everyone gets opportunities. Arshdeep has bowled very well in the first two matches and could be given a rest. The same applies to one of the batters,” he said.
He also indicated that opener Yashasvi Jaiswal could get another opportunity despite a disappointing outing in the previous game. "The versatility of our batting line-up is fantastic. We want another good look at Yashasvi as well. He didn't get runs in the last game, but we want to continue assessing different options."
Ryan was full of praise for Ishan Kishan after his match-winning century in the second ODI. "The main question around Ishan was whether he could evolve from being viewed primarily as a T20 specialist into a complete ODI player, and potentially even a Test player. His innings in the 90s and then his hundred showed exactly that. With players like Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill capable of anchoring the innings, we believe there's room for attacking batters who can put pressure on the opposition. Ishan is incredibly versatile — he can open, bat in the middle order and also provides wicketkeeping options. His performances under pressure, including in the T20 World Cup and now in this series, have been outstanding,” he said.
Afghanistan eye redemption
Afghanistan fielding coach John Mooney believes his side has shown enough quality to challenge India but needs to perform consistently across all three departments. "We've shown at times that we can compete with this Indian team. What we need is a complete performance with bat, ball and in the field,” he said.
Mooney expects conditions to assist spin bowling in Chennai and hopes the support cast around star spinner Rashid Khan can make a bigger impact. "Chennai generally offers more assistance to spinners. Rashid has shown his class throughout, but we'd like our second and third spinners to step up and play a more influential role."
