Sachin Tendulkar lauds Nitish Reddy's maiden Test century
What's the story
Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has lauded Nitish Kumar Reddy for his phenomenal performance in the Boxing Day Test against Australia.
Reddy scored an unbeaten 105 off 176 balls on Day 3, taking India from a precarious position of 191/6 to 358/9.
Tendulkar praised Reddy's composure and temperament during his maiden Test century, calling it "a knock to remember."
Strategic alliance
Reddy's crucial partnership with Sundar
Reddy's strategic partnership with Washington Sundar kept India in the game. The duo stitched a crucial 127-run alliance.Tendulkar also acknowledged Sundar's valuable contribution on X (formerly Twitter), saying, "A knock to remember by Nitish. He has impressed me right from the 1st Test and his composure and temperament have been on display right through. Today he took it a notch higher to play a crucial innings in this series. Wonderfully and ably supported by @Sundarwashi5 as well. Well played!"
Historic achievement
Reddy joins elite club with maiden Test century
At just 21, Reddy has entered an elite club of cricketers by becoming the third-youngest Indian to score a Test century in Australia.
He joins the likes of cricket greats Tendulkar and Rishabh Pant. The achievement highlights his potential to be the next big thing for Indian cricket.
Despite facing a daunting Australian attack, Reddy showed incredible grit and skill during his innings.
Steady contributor
Reddy's consistent performance in debut Test series
Reddy has been a consistent performer since his Test debut earlier in the series in Perth.
Before his standout performance at the MCG, he played crucial 40-run innings in both Perth and Adelaide.
On Day 3 of the Melbourne match, he was in a tense situation when Sundar and Jasprit Bumrah fell quickly.
However, with Mohammed Siraj's support, Reddy reached his century with a lofted boundary off Scott Boland.
Acclaim
Reddy's performance garners praise from Shastri
Former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri also praised Reddy's performance on X, saying, "An innings to remember by one and all. For a 21 year old to exhibit that kind of character under pressure brought tears to ones eyes. Pure Gold."
Despite difficult weather conditions in the fourth Test, Reddy's rock-solid defense and graceful strokeplay helped reduce the deficit to 116 runs.
Twitter Post
Twitter Post
A knock to remember by Nitish. He has impressed me right from the 1st Test and his composure and temperament have been on display right through. Today he took it a notch higher to play a crucial innings in this series. Wonderfully and ably supported by @Sundarwashi5 as well.
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) December 28, 2024
Well… pic.twitter.com/XA2asQVphR