When Ravi Shastri speaks, cricket fans listen. And when the former Indian coach and commentator shared his thoughts on Nitish Kumar Reddy's magnificent century at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), was not just about the stats, but the heart and soul the 21-year-old showed under pressure.
An emotional Shastri tweeted: “An innings to be remembered by all. For a 21-year-old to show that kind of character under pressure brought tears to his eyes. Pure gold. Well played, young man. God bless him. #NKR #TeamIndia #AusvsIND.”
Nitish's father gets emotional
Nitish's father Mutyala Reddy was also present in the stands. You could see his nerves as Nitish inched closer to scoring his maiden hundred. When Nitish finally reached him, tears streamed down Mutyala's face.
Speaking to Adam Gilchrist after the match, Mutyala could not contain his pride. “It's a special day for us and we'll never forget it,” he said. “He's been playing well since his age-group days and to see him do that on the international stage… it's such an amazing feeling.”
He added, “When he was on 99 and there was only one wicket left, I was so tense. Thankfully, Siraj managed to survive.”
A record breaking century
Nitish Kumar Reddy has now become the first Indian player to score a century in Australia by batting at number 8. He is also the third youngest Indian to score a century in India, only behind Sachin Tendulkar and Rishabh Pants.
Nitish Kumar Reddy also forged a crucial partnership with Washington Sundar (50) for the 8th port. Together, the pair put on 127 runs that saved India from a follow-on. This is now the second highest 8th wicket partnership for INDIA IN Australia. Sachin Tendulkar AND Harbhajan SinghThe 129-run stand is the highest.
Reddy's knock also places him alongside some of India's greatest cricketing moments at the MCG. He became the fifth Indian to score a century in a Boxing Day Test here. from Virender Sehwag195 in 2003 to Rahane's match-winning century in 2020, the MCG has seen some memorable innings, and now, Reddy's century has been added to the list.
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