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SRH Captain’s Words Of Wisdom Fuel Nitish Reddy’s Dream Spell At Lord’s

Rajgeeta Yadav

Nitish Kumar Reddy Credits Pat Cummins [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X.com]Nitish Kumar Reddy Credits Pat Cummins [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X.com]

India all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy made a stunning impact on Day 1 of the third Test against England at Lord’s, London, on July 10. Playing his first Test series in England, the 22-year-old grabbed two wickets in his very first over, removing England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett to put India in a strong position early in the match.

But before the tour even began, Reddy had already started doing his homework and he turned to someone with plenty of experience in English conditions: Pat Cummins, the Australia captain and his skipper at Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL.

How Pat Cummins’ Advice Inspired Reddy’s Breakthrough At Lord’s

Reddy, who didn’t have a great outing with the ball during India’s earlier tour of Australia, knew he had to step up if he wanted to keep his place in the Test side. So, before flying out to England, he reached out to Cummins for advice.

“I just asked him (Pat Cummins, his captain at Sunrisers Hyderabad) what's the difference between Australia and England since this is my first tour and he said that it's not going to be like a change but you watch about the weather conditions and just play your game,” Reddy said in the post-day press meet.

That advice seems to have paid off. Reddy bowled 14 overs on Day 1, troubling the English batters with swing both ways on a pitch that offered help for disciplined bowling.

After his impressive start, Reddy was asked if he had one eye on getting his name on the famous Lord’s honours board, a dream for any cricketer.

"I would be so happy if I got named on the board. Everyone will be looking for that opportunity and I'll do my best for that," said Nitish.

Joe Root Shines, India Keeps It Tight

At the end of Day 1, England finished at 251/4. Joe Root was unbeaten on 99, while Ben Stokes held firm on 39*. The two have added 79 runs for the fifth wicket and will look to build on that when play resumes.

England’s approach was noticeably more patient than usual, choosing to bat carefully on a slower pitch instead of their usual aggressive style known as “Bazball.” India’s bowlers kept things tight, and Reddy’s early breakthroughs helped keep the match balanced.