Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg has thrown his support behind all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy ahead of India's crucial fourth Test against England at Old Trafford, Manchester, starting Wednesday, July 23. Speaking about India’s team balance, Hogg stressed the importance of retaining Reddy in the playing XI to maintain batting depth. While praising Arshdeep Singh’s potential, he asserted that the left-arm seamer should only be included if Jasprit Bumrah is rested.

"I think Arshdeep Singh coming in for Nitish Reddy is probably not ideal. You want to keep Reddy there. The reason being is you need extra depth in the batting. Arshdeep Singh should come in if Bumrah is rested. Krishna has had his day. He's tried and tested; it hasn't come off. Thakur would be a good option, but I don't think he's fit enough if you're going in with one less bowler," Hogg said on his YouTube channel.

The discussion around Kuldeep Yadav has also gained traction during the series, with India opting for Washington Sundar instead. However, Hogg believes Kuldeep should still be benched, pointing again to the value Reddy brings with the ball as well. "You can either get rid of Reddy for Kuldeep or Sundar for Kuldeep. I'd keep Reddy in there because you need that extra seamer. He can do a little bit of damage with that swinging ball. If he's moving the ball, the English batters might not want to go after him if there's pressure from the other end. I wouldn't bring Kuldeep in. I'd keep the team as it is. I'd just swap Arshdeep for Bumrah if Bumrah can't play. He'll be right for the duke ball," he explained.

Karun Nair or Sai Sudharsan?

Hogg also weighed in on the debate surrounding Karun Nair, who has underperformed so far in the series despite coming off a brilliant domestic season. With just 131 runs at an average of 21.83 from six innings, Nair’s place at No. 3 is under scrutiny. Hogg believes his selection should depend entirely on his mental state.

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"The only thing with Karun Nair, if I were India, I'd just be looking out for how he is with his mindset. Is he being a little hesitant at the present moment? Is he a little bit unsure of the way that he wants to play?" Hogg questioned. He added that if Nair’s confidence is low, Sai Sudharsan—who made his debut in the first Test—should be brought back. “If he's still confident and knows the way he wants to play, I'll stick with Nair. But if his confidence is low, I'd bring in a youngster.”

India is gearing up for a five-Test series against England that starts on June 20. Discussions have ramped up on how to manage star pacer Jasprit Bumrah's workload. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar has made the position clear on Bumrah's involvement & workload management: Bumrah will not participate in every Test of the series, and Agarkar has stated it will be managed because the priority is keeping Bumrah fit for the duration of the tour. The approach to using Bumrah has been debated by various experts, including Australian great Brad Hogg, who has recently suggested something quite alarming.

Speaking to RevSportz this week, Hogg suggested Bumrah should be rested for the first Test, and the following Tests should be managed to be played in strategic positions based on what he considered the most important games for the series. "You've got to be very strategic with those three Test matches," Hogg said. "Where are you going to get the most benefit out of him?" Because he can turn the game, he can turn the series on its head. So you want to make sure that you play him at Lord's, definitely, and probably Warwickshire." He added that throwing England off guard by not playing Bumrah early could work in India’s favor.

"I probably wouldn't even play him in the first Test match, actually. I'd just go, 'Right, England, we don't have Bumrah.' And you could just see England thinking, 'Oh, they don't have Bumrah—that's good; we don't have to face him.' But then they're going to start worrying about him in the second Test match. And if he turns the tide in the second match, then all of a sudden England is playing catch-up. So I'd add a bit of byplay there," Hogg added.

Gill Begins New Chapter as Test Captain

Shubman Gill, who takes over as India’s 37th Test captain following Rohit Sharma’s retirement, is gearing up for his first major challenge in the red-ball format. The upcoming England series will mark the start of India’s new World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle. With Rishabh Pant as his vice-captain, Gill will lead a relatively fresh-faced side into this crucial phase.

'Wouldn't play Jasprit Bumrah in first Test": Shubman Gill, Gautam Gambhir receive stunning advice#ShubmanGill #GautamGambhir #INDvsENG https://t.co/tsVb1gbblX

— CricketNDTV (@CricketNDTV) June 16, 2025

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Addressing the expectations around his leadership, Gill said that both head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar have given him full freedom. "There are no expectations from them. They want me to express myself as a leader and not expect me to do something I can't," Gill stated, underlining the management’s supportive approach as he steps into this new role.