Shardul Thakur, who was one of the heroes at Gabba, probably got his door closed in the international test circuit; at least that's what Gautam Gambhir's pre-departure press conference suggested. The Indian team under Gambhir's coaching has decided to groom the young all-rounder Nitish Reddy. Gambhir told the media ahead of the team's departure for Perth. “It is also about moving forward, and I feel that this is the best set of players that we have selected to do the job for the country.” Read: Gautam Gambhir Slams Critics Ahead of Border Gavaskar Trophy Nitish Reddy, who got the Test team call with 25 first-class appearances, has toured Australia as a part of the India A team. Even though Reddy didn't shine as much as expected, Gambhir feels, “We have picked the best squad who can do the job for us. Nitish Reddy, we all know how incredibly talented he is, and if given an option, he will deliver for us." Shardul Thakur—sidelined now, once a hero to a trembling India Earlier this June, Shardul Thakur underwent a foot injury, returning to competitive cricket this September. The injury occurred during his South Africa tour in 2023. A team that kept no place for this name once betted hoping to rescue India in the most seemingly impossible situation. When a bunch of critics assured India not crossing 300 runs at Gabba in the first innings, it was Washington Sundar (62) and "Lord" Shardul (67) who guided India to a total of 336 runs. He grabbed an overall seven wickets, if not known to many. If not Gabba's heroics, Shardul had two half-centuries (57 and 60) enscripted in the scorecard at Oval in the 2021 test series. Shardul also scored a half-century in the World Test Championship final last year at the Oval, besides picking two wickets. On the hours of the team bidding adieu, Shardul Thakur will always be that name the roads remember for ages.