Gill Leads from Front, Nitish Reddy Impresses as India Dominate at Lord’s

Gill’s Tactical Call Turns the Tide as Reddy Rocks England at Lord’s.

Lord’s, London – Day 1, 3rd Test: India skipper Shubman Gill’s bold captaincy came to the fore on Day 1 of the third Test against England at Lord’s, with part-time seamer Nitish Kumar Reddy delivering a surprise double blow that turned the tide in the morning session.

After England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett had weathered the early storm from Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, and Mohammed Siraj, Gill made a left-field move by introducing Reddy in the 14th over—immediately after the first drinks break. The decision proved instantly effective.

Bowling from the Members’ End, Reddy struck with just his second ball—a delivery down leg that cramped Duckett, who feathered it to Rishabh Pant behind the stumps. Two balls later, Reddy removed Crawley with a peach that shaped away just enough to take the edge, again safely pouched by Pant. England slumped from 43 without loss to 44 for 2 in a flash.

He nearly had a third in between those wickets, when Ollie Pope edged his very first ball but it landed just short of a diving Gill at gully.

According to CricViz, Reddy extracted more swing (2.6°) and seam (0.9°) than any other Indian bowler in the first session. Clocking speeds in the low 130s, the SunRisers Hyderabad all-rounder maintained an attacking length and kept Pope and Joe Root subdued heading into lunch.

By the interval, England had reached 83 for 2, with Root on 24* and Pope on 12*. But it was Reddy’s 2-wicket burst that had clearly shifted the momentum, drawing widespread praise.

“Reddy’s length has been impeccable. He’s made the right-handers play consistently,” noted England pacer Mark Wood on BBC commentary.

Bumrah Threatens, Akash Underused?
Despite going wicketless, Bumrah bowled with menace in his two spells—testing the edges from both ends while managing the Lord’s slope effectively. Mohammed Siraj provided control in his short burst.

However, Akash Deep—India’s standout bowler from the Edgbaston Test—was limited to just one end. Former pacer Steve Harmison suggested India “missed a trick” by not giving him a go from the Pavilion End, where his natural seam movement might have posed greater threats.