You are just 21. How are you handling the sudden pressure of being with the Indian team and all the eyeballs?
Reddy: To be honest, it was a good feeling. Nerves are there, pressure is there, everything will be there. You will have to handle the nerves and pressure. You know you need to go and perform there. It feels very good when you go out there in front of Indian fans and perform. It feels like you are making your country and your state proud as well. Thankful to the BCCI for the opportunities.
Do you feel you are ready to face Australia, and that too in Australia?
Reddy: I am ready to give my 100…110 per cent for the Indian team. The BCCI has chosen me and I have to respond accordingly. As an all-rounder, I have both the skillsets and I want to give my 110 per cent, whichever way I can help them. I’m a good fielder, I can help in fielding as well. If I’m not playing, I can be the 12th man and carry drinks with all my heart. I can help by taking good catches. If I’m playing, I will be trying to give my maximum effort. It’s a crucial Test series for India. It will be very, very crucial series for me as well.
How do you manage both batting and bowling? It can really take a toll on your body…
Reddy: There was a time when I wanted to leave fast bowling and do off-spin, when I was something like 17. I was completely trying to avoid bowling because I was getting tired a lot, and eventually my batting stats were going down. I was not getting scores and was worried about my batting. I worked a lot on my batting. And then, I spoke with my coach. He said, ‘Nitish, now you are feeling in this way, but in senior age groups or when you play at senior level, when your batting fails you, your bowling will be rescuing you. A fast-bowling all-rounder is very rare and you’ve got that ability. Don’t leave that.’ So, yeah, and at the time, I felt like, ‘Okay, let’s keep on working on what I can do.’ I tried to score at No. 5, No. 6. Eventually, that all-rounder thing came into me.