Manchester [UK], July 20: Indian all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy is expected to miss the remainder of the England tour after suffering a knee injury during a gym session on Sunday, ANI has learned from sources close to the team.
The setback is part of a growing injury list for India ahead of the crucial fourth Test at Old Trafford, scheduled to begin on July 23, with seamers Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh also struggling with injuries.
Reddy, who replaced Shardul Thakur in the second and third Tests, had a quiet outing in Birmingham but played a crucial role at Lord’s, where he dismissed England openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley in the same over and contributed 30 and 13 runs with the bat. With Reddy sidelined, Thakur may return to the playing XI if India sticks to its seam-bowling all-rounder strategy.
Meanwhile, Arshdeep Singh, yet to make his Test debut, sustained a bowling-hand injury during training in Beckenham and was seen with his hand taped. Akash Deep, fresh from a 10-wicket haul in Birmingham that helped India level the series, is also battling a groin niggle.
In response to the injury crisis, the selectors have called up Anshul Kamboj, a promising fast bowler from Haryana, to provide cover for the final two Tests of the five-match series.
England currently leads the series 2-1, and India faces an uphill battle heading into the Manchester Test with a depleted pace attack.