Nitish Kumar Reddy showed the full extent of his game in Melbourne today as he not helped India avoid the follow on but also reach his first international century. Reddy scored 105 runs off 176 balls with 10 boundaries and 1 six which drew a lot of plaudits from not just the Indian cricketing fans but also former cricketers.
After the century on Saturday, Reddy had a heartfelt meeting with his family which was shared on the BCCI social media handles. The young cricketer shared a heartfelt hug with his mother, sister and later with his father.
Coming in after Rishabh Pant's dismissal with India reeling at 191/6, Reddy survived some nervy moments before reviving the Indian innings with a 127-run stand for the eighth wicket with Washington Sundar, who contributed a 162-ball 50. Reddy's brilliance left India 358/9 at the close of day three, with the batsman unbeaten on 105. India are still 116 runs behind.
Reddy, aged 21 years and 216 days, became the third-youngest Indian to score a maiden Test century on Australian soil. Sachin Tendulkar (18 years, 256 days, 1992) and Rishabh Pant (21 years, 92 days, 2019) are the only two younger Indian players to score a maiden hundred in Australia.
Reddy reached the three-figure mark with a fine lofted shot over mid-on off Scott Boland, and the presence of his father at the MCG made the occasion even more memorable for the youngster. As soon as the youngster hit the lofted shot, his proud father broke down in tears and was seen raising his hands in prayer to the Almighty as a group of Indian fans congratulated him.
As his father celebrated in the stands, Nitish crossed over, knelt down, put his bat down and kept his helmet on, with Mohammed Siraj at his side. Speaking to former Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist, Mutyala said it's a special day for India and his whole family.
Having gotten the starts in the previous games of the series, Nitish failed to make it big. The right-hander didn't let go the opportunity on Saturday. Coming in when India were reeling at 191/6 after the dismissal of Rishabh Pant, Reddy grabbed the chance with both hands and set an example for his seniors on how to bat on Australian conditions. Reddy has now also become the highest run scorer for India, scoring 284 runs at an average of 71 and a strike rate of 66.98.
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