New Delhi . Allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy played a key role in giving India an 86run win over Bangladesh and an unassailable 20 lead by playing a brilliant inning of 74 runs in 34 balls at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Apart from his batting, Reddy also showed his seambowling skills and produced a brilliant allround performance, taking 223. “We planned to play fearless cricket and that helped me. I took my time and when I saw which over I had to attack, everything changed. I feel very good in this moment.”
“It's working quite well, but I can bat anywhere. You can send me opening, middleorder or lowerorder. I have batted in previous age groups as well, so I was prepared for everything. But this No. 4 situation is working for me too.”
Reddy was scoring 13 runs in 13 balls at one time, before hitting a six on Mahmudullah's noball, he hit the Bangladesh bowlers hard, especially on the legside. “I practiced with that bat and I thought it was very good, but I had confidence in the other bat, so I was a bit confused. Then I changed my bat and trusted it. That noball took me out of the pressure. Gave some relief and from there I took the game forward.
He said, “This is my personal plan. At that time, the Bangladesh team was playing at a very good pace, so we thought of taking some time. I thought everything changed when I hit a six on the noball. And then we got fully prepared and everything went in the right direction. That was the over that we targeted because an offspinner was bowling to the righthanded batsman, but I was in my element. Was relying on strength.
Reddy scored his maiden international halfcentury in 27 balls, while forming a stormy 108run partnership with fellow halfcenturian Rinku Singh. “We didn't plan anything. He was just like, 'It's God's plan, baby!' After every six, it was 'God's plan.' We didn't really think too much about it.
“I didn't have the skills to attack spinners right from the start, but I have worked hard on it along with my bat swing. After my first year, I realized I needed to improve in this area. It's nice to see that hard work is paying off.”
Reddy revealed how conversations with bowling coach Morne Morkel helped him perform well with the ball. “Yes, I am working on my bowling. I want to be more consistent as that will help me develop into a good allrounder.
“He's a great coach and gives me a lot of confidence, so I'm very grateful to have him on the team. The plans here are very different, and they've been really helpful for my development and skills.”
Reddy talked about the role of his stint with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, saying that it helped him develop as an allrounder. “Initially, I was not expected to bat at No. 4. I was seen as a proper allrounder who could bat lower down the order. But when I performed against Punjab, they believed in me And gave me a chance at number 4.”
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Image Credit: KhasKhabar.