Nitish Kumar Reddy‘s maiden Test hundred came amid dramatic scenes in front of a mammoth 83,073 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday, as the largest ever crowd on the third day of a Boxing Day Test saw the rise of cricket’s latest hero. But it was not without some nervous moments.
Reddy first celebrated a half-century in ‘Pushpa’ style, moving his bat around his chin, before achieving a well-earned century from 171 deliveries, following a tense period of play.
With the score at 348 for 7 and Nitish on 97, having built a match-saving 127-run partnership with Washington Sundar, his century appeared imminent. However, Nathan Lyon dismissed Sundar (50), after which Nitish opted to decline singles with Jasprit Bumrah at the other end.
Following Bumrah’s dismissal (0) with the score at 350 for 9, Reddy remained one run short as he anxiously watched Mohammed Siraj defend three deliveries from Pat Cummins to complete the over.
Reddy finally achieved his milestone by striking Scott Boland’s third delivery of the subsequent over straight past the bowler for four, reaching his hundred.
Soon after, former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik came up with a cheeky response, relating Reddy’s tense moments en route to his century with Siraj’s job as a Deputy Superintendent of Police.
“Nitish needs the DSP to protect him,” Karthik wrote on ‘X’, and followed it with a smiling emoticon.
He then hailed Nitish as a new star.
“A new * has arrived,” he wrote. “That was special. Well done. 100 in a Boxing Day Test against a quality attack.”
Australia had scored 474 in their first innings, and India ended Day 3 at 358 for 9, still 116 runs behind the hosts.
Reddy was batting on 105 and Siraj on 5 when bad light forced the umpires to call stumps.