Reddy-made hundred saves India against Australia and lights up MCG | Cricket news

Indian youngster hits maiden Test century to bring balance to the third Test in Australia.

India seem to have found a new gem in Nitish Kumar Reddy who conjured up a sensational maiden Test century to keep his team alive in the fourth Test against Australia.

Batter Number eight’s scintillating 105 not out underpinned India’s first innings 358-9 in reply to Australia’s 445 in front of a sell-out crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday, including his tearful father.

At 221-7, the risk of a follow-on was high for India, but the seam bowling all-rounder put on a 127-run partnership with Washington Sundar (50) in a spectacular rear guard to rescue the tourists.

With the last Indian batter, Mohammed Siraj at the other end, Reddy went on to bring up his maiden Test hundred with a four off Scott Boland.

The 21-year-old knelt down, placed his helmet on top of his bat handle and pointed to the sky as his father wiped away tears of joy in the stands.

“It’s a special day for the family. We’ll never forget this day,” Reddy senior, who quit his job to help shape his son’s career, told Fox Cricket.

“With only Siraj left, we were very, very tense. I prayed for him.”

Reddy has made strong impressions on his maiden outing. He scored 41 and 38 not out in his debut Test in the series opener in Perth, and his 42 in the drawn second Test in Adelaide were the highest by an Indian batter in either innings.

India were in dire straits when Reddy walked out to bat at the MCG on Saturday and once again he responded with a counter-attack that neutralized much of Australia’s advantage.

Reddy has fulfilled his dreams of playing alongside Virat Kohli and received his maiden Test cap from his idol.

“I used to calculate my age to see if he doesn’t retire when I make my debut for India,” the all-rounder said ahead of his Test debut.

Reddy is now India’s most prolific batter, second only to Australia’s Travis Head, despite playing as a lower-middle-order batter.

Reddy’s eight sixes in the series so far are the joint-most by a touring batter in Australia, matching England’s Michael Vaughan and West Indies’ Chris Gayle.

The tidy seamer has also taken three wickets, but former India coach Ravi Shastri said Reddy deserved to bat higher up the order.

“I want to beat him in the top six,” Shastri told Star Sports. “Then you (India) can play five bowlers and get the team balance right.

“The team management must have faith in him. Put him in the top six, he’s as good as anyone with his technique, with his ability to play quicks and spinners.”