ENG vs IND [WATCH]: Nitish Reddy bowls a jaffa to dismiss Zak Crawley on Day 1 of Lord’s Test

The third Test between England and India got underway at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in London on Wednesday. England skipper Ben Stokes won the toss and opted to bat first, aiming to post a strong total on the board. Both sides made notable changes to their line-ups — England welcomed back speedster Jofra Archer, while India saw the return of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested for the second Test.

After a steady start from the English openers against the pace trio of Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Akash Deep, it was young Nitish Kumar Reddy who turned the game on its head in his opening over.

Nitish Reddy gets rid of Zak Crawley with a beauty

Introduced into the attack in the 14th over, Nitish didn’t take long to make an impact. On just the third ball of his spell, he removed Ben Duckett with a short delivery down the leg-side. Duckett attempted a casual pull, but only managed to glove it to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. The appeal was immediate, and umpire raised his finger without hesitation.

Reddy’s moment of brilliance came on the last ball of the same over. Bowling a near-perfect delivery in the corridor of uncertainty, he forced Zak Crawley into a tentative poke. The ball nipped away off the seam just enough to brush Crawley’s glove and was safely collected by Pant behind the stumps. It was a textbook delivery — angled in, seamed away, and perfectly executed — leaving Crawley with no answers. Captain Shubman Gill’s decision to bring in Reddy early paid dividends as India found momentum thanks to the youngster’s double strike.

Here’s the video:

𝙏𝙬𝙤 good, @NKReddy07🔥

He came on to bowl in just the 14th over and struck twice, sending #BenDuckett and #ZakCrawley back! 💪

Fun fact: In a single over, NKR registered his best Test figures – 2/5* 😎#ENGvIND 👉 3rd TEST, DAY 1 | LIVE NOW on JioHotstar ➡… pic.twitter.com/C6FHgSVB8Z

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 10, 2025

Also READ: ENG vs IND 2025: Here’s why Prasidh Krishna is not playing in the Lord’s Test

Strong start for India in the first session

India’s disciplined bowling attack kept England in check throughout the opening session. The pacers hit consistent lines and lengths, offering little room for the batters to free their arms. Nitish’s twin breakthroughs further tilted the momentum in India’s favour, setting the tone for what promises to be a gripping contest at Lord’s.

Also READ: ENG vs IND: Rishabh Pant raises concern over Dukes ball ahead of Lord’s Test