Nitish Reddy Targets Bowling Consistency After Cummins & Morkel Input, Eyes More Wickets

Nitish Reddy shone as India's leading wicket-taker on the first day of the Lord's Test. Introduced into the attack early, he bowled 14 overs, matching Mohammed Siraj's workload, and claimed the wickets of Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley in his opening over.

Nitish Reddy dismissed the English openers in his first over © Getty

The 22-year-old seamer, known for his varied swing and disciplined lines and lengths, played a crucial role in containing England's scoring. Reddy emphasized that this consistent bowling approach has been his primary focus since the beginning of the tour, encompassing an India A game and an intra-squad match.

Reddy shared insights into his discussions with his IPL captain Pat Cummins and the Indian team's bowling coach Morne Morkel. He said, "After the Australia tour, I felt I needed to improve my bowling, especially my consistency. That's what I targeted."

He elaborated on his interactions with Cummins: "Pat is my captain and was outstanding in Australia. I sought his advice, and he shared his experiences and strategies for bowling in Australia. It's been a great learning experience."

"Working with Morne Morkel on this tour has also been fantastic," Reddy added. "He's been coaching me for a couple of weeks, and we're seeing significant progress in my bowling. I'm enjoying working with him. We've focused on improving my consistency, as I have some swing in both directions. I want to be consistent across all areas, and I've been working hard on my bowling for the past year or two."

Reddy acknowledged the challenges of maintaining his bowling workload during the IPL, particularly after sustaining a side strain in a T20I against England in January. He initially didn't bowl in the IPL season, gradually returning to the nets later in the tournament and ultimately bowling only five competitive overs.

"To be honest, getting back into my rhythm after the injury has been difficult," Reddy confessed. "The side strain bothered me for a while. Towards the end of the IPL season, I regained my bowling form and started playing matches again, which felt great."

"[Today] I simply wanted to enjoy the moment and bowl according to the team's requirements. I believe I executed that well and am happy with my bowling performance. I aim to continue this tomorrow and take more wickets," he concluded.