Not Virat Kohli or Jasprit Bumrah, bowling coach Morne Morkel names the player to keep an eye on in BGT

India bowling coach Morne Morkel has picked young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy as a player to “keep an eye on” in the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. The hype surrounding the series between the two Test giants has been fantastic as the start of the series in Perth gets closer with each passing hour. While Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant and captain Rohit Sharma have been tipped to play a decisive role in the series, Morkel has fielded another name. “Definitely one guy (Nitish) to keep an eye on in the series,” Morkel said during a press conference in Perth ahead of the opening Test on Friday.

The youngster announced himself to the world with brilliant all-round performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.

Playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad, Nitish scored 303 runs in 13 matches at an average of 33.67. He even took three wickets but his consistent power-hitting trait stood out the most.

With only 23 first-class games, Nitish's inclusion in the BGT series came as a surprise to many.

It was clear that the management is looking to work quickly to develop Nitish into the seam bowling option that India wants most.

Morkel said, “He (Nitish Reddy) is one of the young guys. (He has) all-round ability. He will be someone who can hold one end for us, especially for the first few days.” “(He is) a wicket-to-wicket bowler. Any team in the world would want an all-rounder who can help the fast bowlers. It will be up to Jasprit (Bumrah) how he uses him,” Morkel said.

If one looks at Nitish's performance in red-ball cricket, he seems a bit weak to be involved in one of the biggest Test series.

In those 23 matches, Nitish has managed to score just 779 runs on the board at an average of 21.05. With the ball, he has made more of an impact, taking 56 wickets at an average of 26.98.

In the recent unofficial Test between India A and Australia A, Nitish's performance was not ideal, with 38 being his highest score and only wicket in four innings.