ENG vs IND | Twitter impressed as resolute Nitish laughs away Stokes and Brook's manipulative words

Last Monday at 5:39 PM

1552

Nitish Kumar Reddy remained unfazed in the face of pressure for India against England at Lord's on Day 5

More than technique, Test cricket examines a player's patience and mental resolution -- especially in front of a packed crowd at the Home of Cricket on a hostile Day 5 deck against a charged up pace attack. Nitish Kumar Reddy certainly passed the first few stages of scrutiny with aplomb on Monday.

England took the third Test by the neck in the early stages of Day 5 at Lord's as three quick wickets saw India collapse to 82/7 in pursuit of a 193-run target with a series lead at stake. Skipper Ben Stokes was right on the money immediately having ended the previous evening with a wicket while Jofra Archer was visibly fired up at the other end, the tension between both teams through the Test certainly playing a prevalent part. Under such severe pressure arrived at the crease Nitish Kumar Reddy, the 22-year-old playing just his seventh Test and demoted to number nine in the face of hostile conditions. Few questions could have been raised if the all-rounder crumbled without much ado but the batter was intent on showing his steel when it mattered the most.

Nitish looked zoned in from ball one and carefully negated every dlivery, scrambling three singles in his first eight balls before calmly surviving 11 deliveries without scoring. When Stokes got the ball next, Nitish continued to excercise patience as he fended off five deliveries from the captain, the last of which rose from back-of-a-length but failed to test the batter's defence. Stokes had had enough by this point and in his follow through rhetorically asked Nitish whether he was not going to play a shot. However, Nitish was prepared for the sledge, having already heard a version of it from Harry Brook a few balls before when the English white-ball skipper not-so-politely reminded him they were not playing in the Indian Premier League anymore. The batter simply shook his head and softly said 'no' to Stokes, a gesture he repeated the five times Stokes asked him the same question and even let a smile beam through in the process.

Twitterati was impressed by the confidence on display from Nitish, who eventually departed for a 53-ball 13 at the stroke of Lunch.

It's a no

— BavumaTheKing Temba (@bavumathek83578)

Hero

— BavumaTheKing Temba (@bavumathek83578)

Sledge

Sledging Ben stokes 😵
— K!ng Zon€ (@king18Xabd17)

Stokes saying u want to play a stroke?? NKR saying no 😭😭
— DB (@notsofineshyt_)

Over excited

Stokes getting overexcited and bowling his knee into the ground
— Lonely Stopping Start (@Tequila_Sunset9)

Can he?

CAN NKR BECAME 2019 STOKES
— Parth 🥶 (@ParthGarg_9)

Commited player

Stokes is such a committed player. Bowling marathon spells with such determination. Got two wickets in this innings. Utilising Archers very well. Score crucial 33 in second innings, and handy 44 in the first. Yet, engagement farmers suggest he is not good enough.
— Pourush Gupta (@pourush_gupta)

Pathetic

Pathetic Stokes is fully trying to sledge NKR on each ball...🤐
— Cricket Moments that goes Hard (@cricketmoments7)

Massive gang

Most of this England team are a massive gang of frontrunners. Siraj and Stokes will talk all the time, the only guy Archer talked to first innings was NKR.
— Nav (@navvy_j)

Please win it