India’s control over the first Test against the West Indies in Ahmedabad was solidified on the third day, largely thanks to an outstanding catch by Nitish Kumar Reddy. The West Indies team faced increasing odds of losing the match, especially after Reddy’s athletic catch. The catch, widely shared online, astonished the West Indies batsman. Reddy’s inclusion in the match followed his recovery from an injury.
The Catch: India declared their first innings with a score of 448/5 on the third day. The West Indies needed a strong start to their second innings. Reddy, however, prevented this with an exceptional fielding effort, dismissing West Indies opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul.
In the 8th over, Mohammed Siraj bowled a short ball, and Chanderpaul attempted a pull shot towards square leg. Reddy dived to his left, completing a stunning catch. Chanderpaul, who was out for a duck in the first innings, was dismissed for 8 runs in the second innings. Reddy is making a comeback to Test cricket after a significant break.
Reddy’s Prior Exclusion from the England Series: Nitish Kumar Reddy was originally selected for the five-match Test series against England but was later ruled out due to a knee injury sustained during training. He missed the last two Tests. Reddy had debuted in Test cricket during the Australia tour last year, and the England tour didn’t go as planned for him. He didn’t get to play in the first match, but he replaced Shardul Thakur in the second.
In that match, he only scored 1 run in both innings and did not take any wickets with his bowling. He was still selected for the third Test, where he took 3 wickets and scored 30 and 13 runs. He remained at the crease for a good amount of time but could not make big scores. Reddy did not get an opportunity to bat in the first innings of the first Test against the West Indies.