“It’s been hurting me after the injury as well” - Nitish Kumar Reddy’s massive revelation during ENG vs IND 2025 3rd Test

India all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has opened up about his post-injury struggles during the ongoing third Test against England at Lord’s. The 22-year-old had suffered a side strain during a practice session in January, which ruled him out of the home T20I series versus England. He returned to action in IPL 2025, playing primarily as a specialist batter for SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), before gradually resuming bowling in the final three league matches.

On Day 1 of the third Test (Thursday, July 10), Reddy made a strong impact with the ball, picking up two wickets while maintaining tight lines. Speaking at the post-day press conference, he reflected on his recovery and expressed satisfaction with his performance.

“Yeah, to be honest, after the injury it's been a bit tough for me to get into my rhythm. Obviously, I got a side strain, and it’s been hurting me after the injury as well. At the end of the IPL season, I got straight into bowling in matches, and I felt great. I just wanted to enjoy the moment and bowl the way my team wanted me to, and I guess that’s exactly what I’ve done. I'm pretty happy with the way I bowled today, and I just want to continue tomorrow and get some more wickets for my team,” he said.

Meanwhile, England wrapped up Day 1 at 251/4 after 83 overs, with Joe Root nearing a century on 99 and Ben Stokes on 39. After Reddy removed both the openers, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja chipped in with a wicket each.

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“Bumrah bhai leads the unit” - Nitish Kumar Reddy on India’s bowling strategy

Nitish Kumar Reddy was also asked how the Indian bowling unit approaches conditions in England, especially with the hosts suggesting the pitches resemble subcontinental surfaces. Responding to the question, Reddy said:

“So it's just a simple plan for us. Bumrah bhai leads the bowling unit, and he just tells us to be patient and do the good work as much as we can. So that's exactly what we did today. Yeah, obviously we were expecting a bit more wickets, but yeah, we're happy with the way we bowled today. Whoever got the ball, they just did brilliantly, and we just want to keep that disciplined bowling tomorrow as well and get the six wickets as quickly as possible.”

A victory at Lord’s would put India 2-1 ahead in the series, with two Tests remaining.