On a testing Day 1 pitch at Edgbaston, 22-year-old Nitish Kumar Reddy became the latest casualty of a seaming English delivery — this time not to an extravagant shot, but to a judgment error. The young right-hander was bowled for just 1 after shouldering arms to a Chris Woakes delivery that moved sharply back in.Coming in after the dismissal of Rishabh Pant, India were still in a strong position at 208 for 4.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Reddy, looking to settle in, perhaps expected the pitch to behave like the first session, where the movement was minimal. But Woakes, operating with a slightly older ball and under more overcast skies, had other plans.Bowling from a slightly wider angle, Woakes delivered a good-length ball that initially appeared to be heading safely outside off. Reddy, assuming it would hold its line, lifted his bat and let it go. However, the ball seamed in viciously — a classic Edgbaston special — and crashed into off stump. Reddy stood frozen, barely believing what had just happened, before slowly making the long walk back.This moment was a huge turning point for England, who picked up two wickets in the space of eight balls, swinging momentum firmly in their favour after a steady Indian start. Yashasvi Jaiswal had earlier scored a fluent 87, and skipper Shubman Gill was still at the crease on 64 at the time of the wicket, but India’s middle order now looks exposed with only Jadeja, Sundar, and the tail left to support Gill.At 218 for 5, the visitors still have a chance to push for a big first-innings total, but England’s decision to bowl first is starting to pay off — thanks in large part to Woakes’s discipline and Reddy’s miscalculation.
