Courtesy: BCCI/Instagram/X
Nitish Kumar Reddy, 21, who made his long format debut in the ongoing BGT series against Australia, reached his maiden Test century at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in the fourth Test. He became the third youngest Indian to score a Test century on Australian soil, behind Sachin Tendulkar and Rishabh Pant, and the first Indian number eight batter to get a three-figure score in the format in Australia. For Nitish, this inning was nothing less than a dream as he played exceptionally when the team were struggling with the bat.
Although Nitish Kumar Reddy impressed one and all during his innings, the tension ran high when India lost the wickets of Washington Sundar and Jasprit Bumrah in quick succession as he approched the big milestone. Reddy only needed one more run to reach his century, but with Mohammed Siraj on strike against Cummins for three balls, his fate hanged in the balance. Ultimately Siraj stood firm and survived the critical deliveries, allowing Reddy to score his first Test ton.
Special thank you post by Nitish Kumar Reddy to Mohammed Siraj
Mohammed Siraj's defence against Pat Cummins helped Reddy to create history at the MCG. Reddy, on the non-striker's end, was applauding Siraj after each ball he faced. After the conclusion of the third day's play in the Test, Reddy shared a beautiful anecdote to thank Siraj. He shared a picture on his Instagram story of himself hugging the pacer with the message, "I also believe in Siraj Bhai." This was the reference to Mohammed Siraj's famous line "I only believe in Jassi Bhai" from the T20 World Cup 2024 victory, which went very viral on the internet.
The play on day three of the fourth BGT Test match was cut short owing to rain and bad light. However, India finished the day on 358/9 in their first innings, trailing Australia by 116 runs, with Nitish Reddy and Mohammed Siraj at the crease. Nitish Reddy's 105* off 176 balls and Washington Sundar's 50 off 162 balls with both putting together a partnership of 127 runs for the eighth wicket helped India to come back into the match after losing wickets initially.
