The first Test match between India and West Indies in Ahmedabad saw India strengthening their grip on the third day. The West Indies team was under pressure as the threat of defeat loomed. This pressure intensified when Indian all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy took an astonishing catch, leaping in the air. The West Indies batsman was left stunned by the catch, which quickly became a social media sensation. Reddy’s return to the team comes after he recovered from an injury.
Catch Details: In the Ahmedabad Test, India declared their first innings at 448 runs for 5 wickets. The West Indies needed a good start in their second innings, but Reddy’s fielding performance disrupted their plans. He dismissed West Indies opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul with a brilliant catch.
Reddy’s catch happened in the 8th over. Mohammed Siraj bowled a short ball, and Chanderpaul tried to pull it towards the left of square leg. Reddy dived full-stretch to his left to complete a spectacular catch. Chanderpaul, after being out for a duck in the first innings, scored 8 runs off 23 balls in the second innings. This match marks Reddy’s return to Test cricket after a period away.
Reddy’s Absence from the England Tour: Nitish Kumar Reddy was selected for the five-match Test series against England. However, he suffered a knee injury during training, which caused him to miss the final two Test matches. Reddy’s Test debut was during the Australia tour last year, and the England tour didn’t go well for him. He didn’t play in the first match, but he replaced Shardul Thakur in the second match.
In that match, he scored only 1 run in each innings and did not take any wickets. Despite this, he was chosen for the third Test, where he took 3 wickets and scored 30 and 13 runs. He was at the crease for a considerable time but couldn’t get big scores. He did not get a chance to bat in the first innings of the first Test against the West Indies.