Nitish Kumar Reddy likely to be ruled out of remainder England tour after suffering a knee injury

MANCHESTER: Indian all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy is likely to be ruled out of the remainder of the tour of England after suffering a knee injury. Reddy sustained the injury on Sunday while training at the gym, according to sources.

India’s build-up to the crucial fourth Test against England at Old Trafford has been dented by injuries to two of their seamers, Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh.

With both bowlers likely to miss the Manchester Test starting July 23, the selectors have drafted in Haryana’s promising fast bowler Anshul Kamboj as cover for the final two matches of the five-Test series.

After sitting out the series opener in Leeds, Reddy played in the second and third Tests. He did not make much of an impact in Birmingham, with match tallies of just two runs and six wicketless overs.

However, he grabbed vital top-order wickets at Lord’s Test, dismissing both England openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley in the same over in the first innings, and then dismissing Crawley again in the second, while also contributing 30 and 13 with the bat.

Arshdeep, who is yet to make his Test debut, hurt his bowling hand during a training session in Beckenham on Thursday. He was seen with his hand taped after what appeared to be a follow-through injury.

Meanwhile, Akash Deep is nursing a groin niggle, compounding India’s concerns. The right-arm seamer was instrumental in India squaring the series in Birmingham with a 10-wicket match haul.

In all three tests thus far, India has used a seam-bowling all-rounder; Reddy took Thakur’s place in Birmingham after the first test. If India wants to maintain the same lineup and Reddy is not available, Thakur may come back at Old Trafford.

England lead the series 2-1 going into the fourth Test at Old Trafford. (ANI)