Devdutt Padikkal or Nitish Kumar Reddy - who should India pick in their playing XI for IND vs WI 2025 1st Test?

In a white-ball heavy season, Team India return to the whites for a short while to face the West Indies in a two-match home series at home. The Shubman Gill-led side kick-starts the home season with the first Test against the Men in Maroon, scheduled to begin on Thursday, October 2, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Unsurprisingly, Team India have to deal with a selection headache, although most of the spots are locked in. The selectors made a massive call by axing Karun Nair after the England tour, while recalling Devdutt Padikkal for a massive opportunity in the middle order.

Another surprising inclusion was all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who is far from a household name as far as home Tests are concerned. But his name in the mix sirs up an interesting debate over the squad composition as well as how the middle-order will shape up.

On that note, let us look at the factors that will decide the selection battle for the middle-order between Devdutt Padikkal and Nitish Kumar Reddy for the first Test between India and the West Indies.

#1 Third seamer or pure batter - what do India need?

Playing a seam bowling all-rounder is India is largely unheard of and unconventional. Two of India's recent players of that kind, namely Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur, have collectively played only two matches at home out of their 24 Test appearances.

However, with reports of a green pitch in Ahmedabad emerging, Nitish Kumar Reddy might just be India's way of adding seam bowling to their bowling resources without compromising on their batting. The all-rounder was equipped for that role in particular in England before sustaining a series-ending injury midway through.

Having named four spinners in the squad, just a hint of green tinge will not be enough for India to play just two spinners. It was an approach they went with at times in the 2024 home season, but given the spin riches at the moment, and the kind of luxury they provide, three spinners are highly likely to be the norm.

In that case, featuring Reddy as the sixth bowling option might be a futile venture. India suffered from having too many bowling options in England when the playing XI was laced with all-rounders. In such a combination, at least one bowler ends up being underbowled, which leads to the suggestion that a batter is better equipped to occupy the spot.

Although Nitish Kumar Reddy is well capable of featuring at No.5 or No.6 in the batting order alongside Dhruv Jurel, but perhaps not as a pure batter when an option like Devdutt Padikkal is available.

#2 Devdutt Padikkal's rich vein of form is worth tapping into in the long run

In terms of pure form and rhythm, Devdutt Padikkal is miles ahead of Nitish Kumar Reddy. The left-handed batter has had a fine run in first-class cricket over the last year and a half, while his recent century against Australia 'A' in the first unofficial Test is a timely knock of the highest order.

At a time where India need to forge a new middle-order with Shubman Gill as the nucleus, they need a strong, technical batter with potential. With one such candidate identified in Sai Sudharsan, who is set to be handed a long rope at No.3, the management needs another candidate for a similar development at No.5 after the plug was pulled on the Karun Nair comeback.

In such a crucial time in the transition, coupled with the fact that a home series against an opposition like the West Indies is the perfect confidence booster for a newcomer, the situation is arguably tailor-made for someone like Devdutt Padikkal to come in and capitalise.

#3 India need Nitish Kumar Reddy for the Australia tour after Hardik Pandya's injury

Even if Nitish Kumar Reddy was firmly in the playing XI plans, the team management need to rethink their strategy after Hardik Pandya's injury during the business end of the Asia Cup 2025. According to reports, the ace all-rounder has sustained a left quadriceps injury, and could be sidelined for four weeks. The timeframe suggests that he is highly likely to miss the ODI series against Australia away from home.

A seam-bowling all-rounder is almost a must-have in such conditions, and although Shivam Dube has shown enough promise in recent times, India would ideally desire an additional option in the squad.

Reddy availed some game time after featuring in the second unofficial Test against Australia. But since India do not have any overseas Tests scheduled for a while, the plans for the all-rounder might be limited to white-ball cricket for the time being.

Conclusion: If the green pitch is an overwhelming factor, India are better off featuring a third pure seamer like Prasidh Krishna in the side, since a bowler of such calibre is more likely to exploit the conditions better than a batting all-rounder like Nitish Kumar Reddy. India need not fret about the batting depth since they have two all-rounders who are quite proficient with the bat, offering options up to No.8.

No matter the conditions, the playing XI needs pure batters, which is where Devdutt Padikkal slots in, while the task of depth and balance is left to the spin all-rounders, followed by the frontline pacers. Any adjustment that needs to be made should be within these confines, leaving the batting core untouched.

But, with that being said, given India's tendency to lean towards batting strength over bowling in recent times, there is also the possibility that both Padikkal and Reddy might feature, with the latter being the third seamer at the expense of a specialist in Krishna's form.