Nitish Kumar Reddy annoys Gautam Gambhir after stealing his credit openly in Press Conference

Nitish Kumar Reddy has revealed the secret behind his stellar performance on Day 1 of the ongoing third Test between India and England at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.

Before heading to his maiden Test tour of England, Nitish Kumar Reddy turned to someone he trusted for help, and he is none other than his Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) captain, Pat Cummins.

The young Indian all-rounder, who had a tough time during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Australia, knew he had to improve his bowling if he wanted to be part of the Test team.

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Reddy knew that English conditions would be challenging, so he reached out to Pat Cummins for advice.

Nitish Kumar Reddy reveals Pat Cummins' role behind impressive bowling show at Lord's on Day 1

Reddy revealed that the Australian pacer shared valuable tips, especially about how much the weather affects the pitch and movement of the ball in England. Taking those lessons, the young all-rounder made an impressive impact on Day 1 of the third Test at Lord’s.

He dismissed both England openers, Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, early in the innings, giving India a solid start. By the end of the day, Reddy had the best figures among Indian bowlers with 2 for 46, as England finished on 251/4 at the stumps.

Reddy also had a chance to get his third wicket in Ollie Pope, but the Indian skipper Shubman Gill fumbled, and he lost the opportunity.

Speaking to the media after the end of Day 2 at Lord’s, Nitish Kumar Reddy revealed that he had a chat with Pat Cummins before the England tour, asking him about the difference between bowling in Australia and England. Cummins advised him to keep an eye on the weather and stick to his natural style of bowling.

Also Read: Watch: Nitish Kumar Reddy astonishes Rishabh Pant by dismissing Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley in same over at Lord's

It is not going to be different: Pat Cummins' advice to Nitish Kumar Reddy

Nitish mentioned that the Australian captain encouraged him to make the most of his time with India A during their series against the England Lions.

Cummins told Reddy that those two matches would be a great learning experience and that he should use them to understand the conditions better.

Nitish Kumar Reddy stated, “I asked him what's the difference between bowling in Australia and England, and since this is my first tour, he said it is not going to be different, but you watch out for the weather conditions and play your game, and you will get to know because I was going to play the India A tour, so he said just try to learn as much as you can and you.”

Reddy credited India bowling coach Morne Morkel for his improvement with the ball. The star all-rounder added, “And that's a great experience for me sharing with Pat Cummins, and yeah, coming to this tour also, I would say, like, working with Morne Morkel, the bowling coach, and he's been great, and he's been working with me for a couple of weeks, and we are seeing good progression in my bowling, and I'm really enjoying working with him.”

Nitish Kumar Reddy dreams of etching his name on the Lord’s honours board

The all-rounder also said that he would be thrilled to see his name on the Lord’s honors board, for which he is ready to give his best. Reddy further noted, “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.”

At the end, Nitish said that he has been focusing on improving his consistency, especially with line and length. He has been working hard over the last couple of years. The SRH all-rounder also believes that trusting himself is key to turning all that effort into results and is now seeing the benefits of that dedication.

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