Nitish Kumar Reddy’s inclusion for the Test series Down Under was a little unexpected since the young seamer all-rounder, who plays for Andhra, hasn’t had much experience in red-ball cricket. He made his Ranji Trophy debut in January 2020 and Nitish, 21, has so far made only as many first-class appearances.

His numbers in this year’s Duleep Trophy for India B may not look staggering, but what has stood out for Nitish is his willingness to accept challenges and focus on the game he knows best. That was on display during this year’s IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad and the recent Bangladesh T20Is which marked his India debut.

Test cricket is a completely different ball game, but Nitish has the backing from the team management. The call-up for the five-Test series against the Australians thus hasn’t come as much of a surprise for the youngster, who’ll be getting an opportunity to warm up for India ‘A’ in the four-day games against Australia ‘A’ before the Tests begin.

“The talks (of a call-up) were going on. I was expecting my name to be announced, but not before India ‘A’ matches. I thought it might depend on my performance in these ‘A’ matches. But it seems I have been able to show some promise to them, so I guess they hope I’ll do well,” Nitish told The Telegraph from Mackay, Australia.

Nitish has got his range of strokes and can pick up crucial wickets too, which he proved against Bangladesh. But for a gruelling series against Australia, a tough mindset is paramount and he knows that.

“You need to be tough, that’s what I believe. You have to be very tough in the centre, not just in red-ball, but all forms of cricket. Only those with tough mindset can survive and deal with whatever situations they face.”

Hardik Pandya and Ben Stokes are among Nitish’s inspirations. But he will not focus on doing it like Pandya or Stokes if he gets an opportunity in Australia.

“I will stick to my role. As for the others (other all-rounders), I just like the way they bowl and bat. It doesn’t mean I will play like them. I’m just going to respond to the situation. If the situation demands me to play a big shot, I will play it. If the situation demands me to play till stumps, I’ll be ready for that too. I can do both.”

Overall, a feel of the Indian dressing room and a good bit of international cricket bodes well for Nitish before such a vital series. “I was a bit nervous initially (going into his international debut versus Bangladesh in Gwalior), but Suryabhai (T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav) gave me a free hand regarding my approach on the field.

“Only by scoring runs and taking wickets will you get that confidence. And I’ve experienced that already. When representing India, you need to keep your nerves neutral. I guess I did that in the last series and want to keep continuing that.”