With his tenacious first Test match century here on Saturday, Nitish Reddy, who was unknown in red-ball cricket prior to the start of the Border-Gavaskar series, all but saved India, seriously undermining Australia’s chances of winning the Boxing Day match.
Rain caused the third day of play to conclude early, but Reddy’s undefeated 105 moved India to 358 for nine, still 116 runs shy of Australia’s first innings total of 474.
Saving the Test match shouldn’t be a major concern for India because the bowlers don’t get much from the flat MCG deck. Reddy, who was undoubtedly India’s “find of the series,” was crucial to the visitors’ comeback.
The pivotal moment for the hosts came from Reddy’s fierce attitude and the priceless 127-run partnership he had with Washington Sundar (50 off 162 balls).
Reddy’s innings was referred to as one of the finest Test match knocks by the renowned Sunil Gavaskar. India was in a vulnerable position given the circumstances after Rishab Pant’s departure due to a careless shot left them struggling at 191 for 6.
Jasprit Bumrah’s dismissal on 99 might have left the young Andhra batsman stranded, leaving Reddy with Mohammed Siraj as his last man. Siraj faced three deliveries from home captain Pat Cummins and walked into another round of jeers.
With every ball, Reddy’s and his father Muthyala’s faces altered, but Siraj lived to let Reddy enjoy the moment he must have dreamed a thousand times.
The highlight of the series for India was a flawless straight drive off Scott Boland. Reddy thanked the Indian dugout, who gave him a standing ovation, while balancing his helmet with the bat and kneeling.
The 21-year-old celebrated his fiftieth birthday by striking the “Pushpa” stance and mastering the “Salaar” pose.
When his father, Muthyala, quit his stable job to start a micro-finance (loan) company ten years ago and lost money, the Reddy family was told not to support young Reddy’s cricketing ambitions, but they persisted.
When Reddy’s son reached the milestone, his father, who was seated in the stands close to the boundary, broke down.
Indian fans may have been reminded of the day his son was awarded the BCCI’s Best U-16 Cricketer award in 2017 when they took photographs with him. As he left the hotel, an impressionable Reddy was spotted taking photographs with his hero, Virat Kohli, and his spouse, Anushka Sharma.
Playing the ball late and only going for the drive when the ball was pitched up formed the firm basis of Reddy’s batting strategy. As seen by his ten fours and sixes, he wasn’t defending needlessly.
If Rishabh Pant’s strange shot selection dominated the morning, Reddy’s attacking style put Australia under pressure again in the afternoon.
The off-drive off Cummins was more beautiful than any of the many boundaries including Nathan Lyon’s six.
India’s most reliable batsman throughout the series has been Reddy, and his first Test match century couldn’t have come at a better moment or at a more legendary location.
On the other hand, aside from punishing the loose deliveries, Washington gained confidence and trusted his defence. As the game went on, it did assist that the MCG’s drop-in surface improved for batting.
The Indian pair sprinted brilliantly between the wickets, and the second new ball did little to help the Australian bowlers. With Mitchell Starc’s back acting up a bit, the two batters tried to further cut the margin.
Pant’s shot selection was the main factor that hindered India in the morning.
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