BGT '24
Nitish Reddy's maiden ton revives India against Australia's 474 in Boxing Day Test
Melbourne/IBNS: India's young batter Nitish Kumar Reddy slammed his maiden Test hundred in the course of his battle for his team's rescue from a disaster against Australia in the Boxing Day Test on Saturday.
Emotions ran all throughout his family in the stands as Reddy hit a boundary to cross the 100-mark surviving the scare that the number 8 batter might run out of his partner as India were nine wickets down.
"It's a special moment for our family," says Nitish's father Mutyala Reddy, who had quit his job to help his son pursue cricket, speaking to the broadcasters after the day's play ended at India's score reading 358-9.
The day 3 began quite impressively for the hosts as they managed to scalp both Rishabh Pant (28) and Ravindra Jadeja (17)- the overnight batters- but what followed soon after was something Australians would not have hoped for.
Reddy, 21, partnered with allrounder Washington Sundar for the second 100-run partnership in the Indian innings after Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli did it a day prior.
Reddy slammed 10 fours and a six to score 105 from 176 balls until rain ceased the day's play.
The Andhra Pradesh player, who is also an allrounder, was supported by Sundar's 50.
India's young batter Yashasvi Jaiswal earlier hit a remarkable 82 from 118 balls.
His runout dismissal in a misunderstanding with Virat Kohli had dampened India's hope for a big score.
Jaiswal, who was batting at 82, pushed the ball to mid-on for a quick run but Kohli's refusal led Australia's Pat Cummins to dismiss the southpaw at the striker-end.
The southpaw, who walked back to the pavilion in utter dismay, added with Kohli 102 runs for the third wicket after India lost skipper Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul early.
Kohli, who looked composed and played his vintage shots in the middle, soon followed Jaiswal to the pavilion edging an off-stump ball bowled by Scott Boland.
The former India captain, whose current Australian tour has so far remained dull except a ton in Perth, walked back scoring a solid 36 from 86 balls.
A massive hundred by Steven Smith powered Australia to 474 in the first innings of the fourth Test against India.
Smith, who scored 140 from 197 balls, steered Australia's innings in the first session on day two along with skipper Pat Cummins, who slammed 49.
Until he was dismissed cheaply post lunch, Smith, who has a superb record at MCG, hit 13 fours and three sixes offering more worries for the tourists.
India's vice-captain and pace bowling sensation Jasprit Bumrah maintained his dominance even after a spell which went all wrong to 19-year-old Aussie debutant Sam Konstas on day 1.
The world's best bowler clinched four wickets for 99 runs while he was supported by allrounder Ravindra Jadeja, who picked three including the Aussie skipper's vital wicket this morning.
The Border Gavaskar Trophy is evenly balanced 1-1.
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
