Nitish Kumar Reddy is a promising all-round possibility, according to former India spinner Anil Kumble, who also stated that India needs someone like Reddy to break partnerships and give the fast bowlers a respite. This comes after the Andhra all-rounder’s exploits on day one of the ongoing third Test at Lord’s between India and England.

For the first time in the series, Shubman Gill gave Reddy the new ball, and the youthful player made the breakthroughs for India in his first over, dismissing English openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley.

Former India captain Anil Kumble reviewed the day’s play and lauded Nitish Kumar’s bowling. He also praised substitute keeper Dhruv Jurel for his excellent catch of Ollie Pope off the bowling of Ravindra Jadeja. Jurel replaced Rishabh Pant, who hurt his finger during the day’s play.

"I was surprised at how well Nitish Kumar Reddy bowled. He consistently hit the right areas. That short ball down the leg side was a gift, but otherwise, he was disciplined. His delivery to Zak Crawley was a beauty. Sometimes, when you're out of form, things don't go your way — and Crawley found that out. Dhruv Jurel's catch was outstanding.

Jadeja was probing that line before tea, and the first ball after tea, he struck. And then, of course, you can't keep Jasprit Bumrah out of the game. He bowled beautifully and picked up a crucial wicket. It's hard to imagine an innings where Bumrah doesn't have a say," Kumble said on JioHotstar.

Anil Kumble recalled how well Nitish bowled in Australia and insisted that India persist with him in the long run.

“I thought he did quite well in Australia — got a hundred with the bat and bowled decently, even if he didn't take many wickets. What you need from someone like him is to break partnerships and give the fast bowlers a breather while still maintaining control.

"He bowled nearly 14 overs in a spell — that shows fitness and control. He's young, he's a capable batter with a century under his belt, and he's a sharp fielder. India should persist with him and avoid the temptation to chop and change," he added.

Kumble further reviewed how the match unfolded on a challenging surface for batters and said, "It was evident right from the start that it was going to be a grind for the batters. The openers struggled to score off the new ball, and this was the kind of pitch where you had to work hard for your runs. I thought the Indian bowlers bowled really good areas consistently — that's one of the reasons India managed to restrict England to 251.

England will be fairly satisfied with just four wickets down. I do think India missed a trick after Jadeja got that breakthrough — I was surprised he didn't continue bowling to Ben Stokes and changed ends instead. India will probably reflect tonight and feel that one or two more wickets could have put the match firmly in their favour. As it stands, it's evenly poised."

Assessing India's Day 2 objectives with the new ball, Kumble said, "Restricting England to under 300 — ideally under 320 — would be a fantastic result for India. That would mean they've done a solid job in the first innings. The key will be how they start with the new ball. If India can pick up a couple of quick wickets early in the morning, the momentum will swing back. But if England manage to get off to a steady start, India will have to work really hard.”

Joe Root will resume on 99 with England on 251/4 on day two of the Lord’s Test.

(IANS inputs)