Indian all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy impressed everyone with his bowling performance on the opening day of the third Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Lord’s. Playing against England on July 10, Reddy picked up two key wickets, those of openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, and ended the day with figures of 2 for 46 in 14 overs. His performance stood out, especially as he was the only Indian bowler to take more than one wicket on the day.
This was the first time in the series that Nitish Kumar Reddy was handed the new ball. Captain Shubman Gill introduced him in the 14th over after Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj failed to make an early breakthrough. Reddy quickly made an impact, dismissing Duckett with a ball that caught him down the leg side while attempting a pull shot. He almost removed Ollie Pope on his very first delivery but a catch was dropped in the slips by the Indian skipper. A couple of deliveries later, he got Crawley out with a superb ball that swung in and then moved away off the pitch.
By the end of the day, England was 251 for 4 and Nitish Kumar Reddy’s spell had turned out to be the most effective among the Indian bowlers.
Speaking after the day’s play, Reddy talked about how important the recent Australia tour was in pushing him to improve his bowling. During that series, he took five wickets in nine innings, but he felt the need to become more consistent. He shared that playing under Pat Cummins at Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL gave him valuable insights into fast bowling. He said that Cummins guided him on how to approach bowling in the Australian conditions and gave him helpful tips that added to his experience.
Reddy also highlighted the role of India’s national bowling coach Morne Morkel in his recent development. He said that working with Morkel in England over the past few weeks has helped him make noticeable progress. The focus has been on building consistency, especially since Reddy can swing the ball both ways. He explained that he’s been putting in hard work for a couple of years but he has now started to understand the importance of belief in one’s skills. For him, confidence has become the key to translating that hard work into strong performances.
Nitish Kumar Reddy’s performance at Lord’s, combined with his dedication to learning and improving, suggests that he could become a reliable bowling option for India in the longer format.
