After a gruelling opening day of the third Test between England and India, pace all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy credited an Australian stalwart for inspiring his scintillating spell. Reddy had a memorable outing at Lord’s on Thursday, removing both English openers, outbowling India’s premier fast bowlers giving his side a blitz start.

Nitish Kumar Reddy credits Australian legend for mentoring him

Taking to reporters after Day 1, Nitish credited Australian skipper Pat Cummins for playing a key role in his development. Following the Australia tour, Nitish realised the need to improve his bowling and work on consistency. He acknowledged Cummins’ brilliance as a leader and mentioned that he had sought tips from the Australian captain. Cummins had guided him on how to approach bowling in Australian conditions and offered valuable insights, which Nitish described as a great learning experience.

“After the Australia tour, I felt like I had to improve my bowling and my consistency. That’s what I looked about. And yeah, Pat is my captain, and he’s been brilliant in Australia, and I have asked him some tips, and he has been telling me how things would’ve been done in Australia, how I can go about it in Australia. And that’s a great experience for me, sharing with Pat Cummins,” Nitish told reporters.

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Nitish on learning how to adjust to English conditions effectively

Nitish further added that he had asked Cummins about the difference in bowling in Australia and England, given that it was his first tour. Cummins advised him that there wouldn’t be a drastic change and that he should focus on observing the weather conditions, play his natural game, and try to learn as much as possible. Notably, Cummins leads Nitish at Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL, further strengthening their player-mentor bond.

“I just asked Pat Cummins about the difference in bowling in Australia and England. This is my first tour. He said, ‘It’s not going to be a different change. You just watch the weather conditions and just play your game. Just try to learn as much as you can,” Nitish added.

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