New Delhi: Taking into account the tough conditions for Team India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Saturday, it wasn’t easy to stand tall and standout at the same time for a 21-year-old youngster but dynamic all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy did it with confidence. Nitish announced his arrival in absolute style amid high-tension drama at the iconic Australian stadium, slamming his maiden Test century. This was not the first time Nitish showcased exuberance as he has amazed the Indian fans in the previous three matches as well.
When Team India looked down and out on third morning of the fourth Test against Australia, an energetic Nitish Reddy rescued the drowning ship, playing the role of a lone warrior with absolute excellence. When the who’s who of the Indian batting line up failed to showcase their class and stand firmly in front of a lethal Aussie bowling, it was the youngster who showcased patience and played the Test cricket like the longest format is supposed to be played.
Nitish Reddy displays temperament to rescue India
Sometimes when the elders in a family do not live up to the expectations, the youngsters advertently take to the driving seat, becoming the torchbearers for the entire clan. Something of similar sort happened on the third day of MCG Test as a young Nitish showcased not just his cricketing skills but perfectly complemented them with great temperament and game sense to bail India out of the shallow waters.
With responsibility lying on Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja in the first session of play, hopes were shattered when both got dismissed, leaving Team India in shambles. It seemed like this was meant to happen as their dismissals paved way for Reddy and Washington Sundar (50) to rescue India’s sunken ship. The duo stitched a crucial partnership of 127 runs after India had lost their seventh wicket, thus managing to reduce Australia’s first innings lead significantly.
India’s leading scorer in BGT 2024-25
With a sublime century, Nitish Kumar Reddy became India’s leading run-scorer in the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. He has been India’s major run-contributor in BGT as in the series opener at Perth, Nitish slammed knocks of 41 and 38 in the first and second innings respectively and came back to hunt and haunt the Aussie in the Adelaide Test as well, smashing 42 each in both the innings. In the first innings of the Brisbane Test, he managed a score of 16 runs.
With India’s newest star becoming the first player from the country to hit a century on the Australian soil at number eight, there’s certainly some light at the end of the tunnel for India in the crucial Test.
At the time of stumps on the third day of the MCG Test, India were 358/9 still trailing Australia (474) by 116 runs. Nitish Kumar Reddy was unbeaten on 105 while Mohammed Siraj (2 not out) was on the other end. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
