Young Indian cricketer Nitish Kumar Reddy stole the spotlight on Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, scoring an unbeaten 105 off 176 balls to keep India in contention against Australia. His composed knock helped India recover from a precarious 191/6 to finish the day at 358/9, trailing by 116 runs.

The 21-year-old, mixing caution with aggression, showcased remarkable maturity as he battled against a formidable Australian bowling attack comprising Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, and Scott Boland. His performance drew widespread praise, including admiration from cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.
Tendulkar Hails Nitish Reddy’s Composure
Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar took to X (formerly Twitter) to commend Nitish Reddy’s maiden Test hundred, acknowledging his impressive temperament and composure throughout the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
“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,” Tendulkar wrote.
Nitish now holds the distinction of being the third-youngest Indian to score a Test century in Australia, following Tendulkar and Rishabh Pant.
A Breakthrough Knock for the Youngster
Making his Test debut earlier in the series in Perth, Nitish has been a revelation with the bat. Before his century in Melbourne, he played valuable 40-run knocks in Perth and Adelaide, emerging as India’s leading run-scorer in the ongoing series.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri also lauded the youngster’s resilience under pressure. “An innings to remember by one and all. For a 21-year-old to exhibit that kind of character under pressure brought tears to one’s eyes. Pure gold. Well played, young man. God bless,” Shastri shared on X.
A Dramatic Finish to Day 3
Nitish Reddy’s century wasn’t without drama. With Washington Sundar and Jasprit Bumrah falling in quick succession, it seemed like he might remain stranded on 99. However, Mohammed Siraj showed grit at the crease, allowing Nitish to reach the landmark with a lofted shot off Scott Boland.
At the end of Day 3, Nitish remains unbeaten, with Siraj set to join him as India resumes their innings on Day 4, aiming to close the deficit against Australia’s first-innings total of 474.