India’s hopes of staging a fightback on Day 5 at Lord’s took a massive hit as their fragile lower middle order crumbled under pressure, with Nitish Kumar Reddy’s dismissal at the stroke of lunch putting England firmly in the driver’s seat. What started as a chase filled with optimism slowly turned into a survival mission for the visitors, who lost KL Rahul early in the morning session, followed by a flurry of wickets that included Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar.

With India reduced to 7 down, the onus fell on young Nitish Kumar Reddy and the experienced Ravindra Jadeja to drag the innings into the afternoon session. But what followed was a psychological duel that played out not just with the ball, but also with sharp words from the slip cordon. Harry Brook, Reddy’s former teammate at Sunrisers Hyderabad, took it upon himself to try and rattle the Indian all-rounder mentally.

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Brook was constantly in Reddy’s ear, reminding him, “This isn’t the IPL. Jaddu’s got to score them all.” He followed it up with a personal jibe, saying, “Who do you think you are? Back at SRH, you never said a word.” While Reddy appeared calm on the outside, such chatter could well have disrupted his rhythm.

The perfect end to the morning session 😍

Just two wickets away now 👀 pic.twitter.com/ATYHcWYZFR

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 14, 2025

Just when India looked like they might hold on till lunch, Chris Woakes returned to the attack and struck gold. Delivering from wide of the crease, he tempted Reddy with a length ball outside off. The youngster tried a soft push but only managed to edge it behind to Jamie Smith. His departure for 21 marked the end of India’s last genuine resistance.

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Now, with only Jadeja left to marshal the tail and over two sessions remaining, England are staring at a series lead. Reddy’s wicket may well be the moment this Test turned decisively in England’s favour.