A determined maiden Test century by Nitish Kumar Reddy, achieved with No. 11 Mohammed Siraj at his side, helped India’s strong fightback at the MCG, giving them hope of at least avoiding defeat in the fourth Test, although Australia was still on track to take a big first-innings lead.
The allrounder came into the middle at 191/6 and partnered with Washington Sundar to set a record eighth-wicket stand of 105* runs at the MCG, helping India recover from their tough situation. When an early Tea break was called due to bad light, India had cut their deficit to 148.
Through their partnership, which lasted 32.1 overs, both Nitish and Washington showed that the conditions were more helpful to the batters. Washington, with his 162-ball knock of 50 runs, supported Nitish perfectly.
Yesterday, Sanjay Manjrekar said ~ “India preferring Nitish Kumar Reddy over Shubman Gill isn’t a great call”
👉🏻 Today, Nitish scored 100* at MCG
Sanjay Manjrekar vs AUS :
Innings – 9
Runs – 197
Avg – 21.88
Highest – 45
50's – 0, 100's – 0#INDvsAUSpic.twitter.com/aXeSBikUBJ— Richard Kettleborough (@RichKettle07) December 28, 2024
Reddy’s maiden Test century was hard-earned, and it came in tough conditions, with the Australian bowlers putting India under pressure. He was not only steady but also displayed excellent technique and patience.
The Indian team had been struggling after a strong Australian performance in the first innings, with India trailing by a significant margin. However, Reddy helped India to put 358/9 on the board at the end of Day 3.
Jasir Basharat is a cricket enthusiast capturing the heart of the game through insightful analysis and storytelling sharing his passion for the sport through engaging narratives. He is a business graduate from University of Kashmir.
