Australia vs India: Newcomer Nitish Kumar Reddy bowls maiden century on day three of fourth Check | Cricket Information

Nitish Kumar Reddy starred as he led India’s fightback in opposition to Australia on the third day of the fourth Check, scoring a maiden century and ending the day unbeaten with 105.

India (358-9) nonetheless trailed Australia (474) by 116 runs on the Melbourne Cricket Floor after Saturday’s match however prevented a worse deficit because of Reddy.

The 21-year-old is taking part in solely his fourth Check however, batting at No. 8, he steadied India from a susceptible 221-7, compiling a 127-run partnership alongside Washington Sundar (50 ).

The pair fell two runs wanting equaling India’s eighth-wicket document in opposition to Australia of 129, set by Harbhajan Singh and Sachin Tendulkar on the Sydney Cricket Floor in January 2008.

Spin-bowling all-rounder Sundar delivered a troublesome probability off the again of his bat at second slip on 18, which was dropped by a diving Steve Smith as Mitchell Starc bowled first with the second new ball.

With Reddy on 97, Sundar’s 162-ball knock lastly got here to an finish when he was caught off the bowling of spinner Nathan Lyon (2-88) at 348-8. Affected person Sundar has reached just one restrict.

Reddy performed a lofted drive to cowl to maneuver to 99 however misplaced Jasprit Bumrah for a duck, caught on the primary over off the bowling of Pat Cummins (3-86), within the subsequent over at 350-9.

Mohammed Siraj needed to survive three deliveries from Cummins, permitting Reddy to rise to the event and full his century within the over with a drive to the boundary, resulting in deafening roars from the hundreds of Indian followers within the stands .

Reddy’s hundred got here off 171 deliveries and included 10 fours and a six. Solely 9 extra deliveries have been bowled earlier than play was delayed after which referred to as off as a result of poor mild and rain, with Reddy unbeaten on 105.

Resuming on 164-5 on Saturday, India had reeled to 244-7 at lunch, dropping the wickets of Rishabh Pant (28) and Ravindra Jadeja (17).

Australia’s hopes of beating India’s tail early, nonetheless, pale as 82 runs have been added with out loss within the post-lunch session. Cummins and Scott Boland (3-57) took three wickets every for Australia.

Australia’s first innings complete of 474 was highlighted by Smith’s thirty fourth century. Smith’s 140 took the 35-year-old tied for seventh in a whole lot in Check cricket.

The five-match sequence is tied at 1-1 after a attract Brisbane. The fifth and closing Check is scheduled to start on January 3 in Sydney.

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