Nitish Kumar Reddy scored a century vs Australia
Photo : AP
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Nitish Kumar Reddy scored a ton at the MCG
- Nitish walked out to bat at number eight
- Nitish made his debut in the Perth Test
Nitish Kumar Reddy produced one of the most memorable moments in 2024 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) during the fourth Test between India and Australia on the third day by scoring his maiden Test century, which helped Team India make a comeback in the match after a top-order collapse.
Playing only his 4th Test for India, the 21-year-old walked out to bat at number eight with the visitors in trouble at 191-6 after Australia put up a marathon total of 474 on the board. Reddy made 114 runs in 189 balls and put up a huge partnership of 127 runs with Washington Sundar.
Ton-up Reddy helped India post a total of 369 on the board and reduced Australia's first-innings lead to just 105. A fiery spell from Jasprit Bumrah on the fourth day firmly put India back in contention to seal a famous victory on Monday (December 30), where a cracking final day awaits.
Nitish Kumar Reddy Creates History
Nitish's stunning knock is the first instance of a number eight batter from either Australia or a visiting team scoring a century at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in history. The iconic venue hosted the first Test match in history in 1877 and has hosted 118 red-ball international clashes, but Nitish is the first to achieve the rare feat.
Highest Scores By A Number Eight Batter At MCG
| Player |
Match |
Year |
Runs |
| Nitish Kumar Reddy |
India vs Australia |
2024 |
114 |
| Mitchell Johnson |
Australia vs Sri Lanka |
2012 |
92 |
| Don Tallon |
Australia vs England |
1947 |
92 |
| Craig White |
England vs Australia |
2002 |
85 |
| Mitchell Starc |
Australia vs Pakistan |
2016 |
84 |
Nitish now also holds the record for the highest score a number eight or below batter at the MCG. He is only the fourth player to score a century and the first from a visiting nation. The last instance of a batter walking out to bat after the fall of the number six batter and scoring a ton at the MCG came in 1947.
Highest Score For A Batter At Number Eight Or Below At MCG
| Player |
Batting Position |
Match |
Year |
Runs |
| Nitish Kumar Reddy |
8 |
India vs Australia |
2024 |
114 |
| Reggie Duff |
10 |
Australia vs England |
1902 |
104 |
| Jack Gregory |
9 |
Australia vs England |
1920 |
100 |
| Ray Lindwall |
9 |
Australia vs England |
1947 |
100 |
| Mitchell Johnson |
8 |
Australia vs Sri Lanka |
2013 |
92 |
Nitish is also the first Indian batter to score a century from number eight or below in Australia. The 21-year-old is only the fifth Indian batter from below number eight in history after Kapil Dev, Ajay Ratra, Ajit Agarkar, and Anil Kumble to score a century outside Asia.
Nitish is also the third youngest Indian after Sachin Tendulkar and Rishabh Pant to score a Test century in Australia. He is also only the fourth player from a visiting nation to score a ton at MCG before his 22nd birthday after Ijaz Ahmed, John Hearne, and Ken Viljoen.
Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Cricket, Sports and around the world.
