Big blow for the Indian cricket team ahead of the all-important fourth Test match at Manchester as all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has been ruled out of action for the remainder of the series with an injury, the Times of India reports.
After missing out on the first Test at Headingley, Reddy was included for the Edgbaston clash before once again making it to the starting lineup in the third Test at Lord's.
The TOI report added that the 22-year-old had travelled to Manchester with the team and was likely to retain his place in the starting lineup, however, he missed Sunday's optional training session and has now been declared unfit to play the remaining two tests.
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Other than Reddy, five other Indian players skipped the optional indoor session, including captain Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, vice-captain Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar.
Who will replace Nitish Kumar Reddy in the fourth Test?
The team management will consider the conditions in Manchester before taking a call on Reddy's replacement. With the medium pace bowling all-rounder ruled out, it is unlikely that either of Ravindra Jadeja or Washington Sundar will be dropped from the side, which automatically closes the door on Kuldeep Yadav.
MORE: Will Bumrah play the 4th Test against England in Manchester?
Assessing the conditions, the Indian think tank could bring in Dhruv Jurel to add an extra batter to the lineup. Jurel's selection will also provide respite to Rishabh Pant, who injured his finger at Lord's. The vice-captain, in that scenario, will play as a pure batter.