India’s rising star Nitish Kumar Reddy created history with his maiden Test century against Australia on Saturday. At the end of play on the third day of the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, he was unbeaten with a score of 105. Nitish’s maiden Test century came at a critical juncture in the Boxing Day Test. As he left India reeling, his innings of unbeaten 105 not only steadied the team but also showcased his temperament and ability under pressure. In 171 balls, his knock included 10 boundaries and a six.

After his combative blow, Nitish’s family picked him up from his hotel room and they all found it difficult to control their emotions. Watch the video here:

The Reddy family was a bundle of emotions today. Witness the magical moment as they hug Nitish after he wowed the world with his extraordinary first Test century at the MCG.

A day anchored in memories… pic.twitter.com/uz9mrASuRm

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 28, 2024

Nitish entered the fray at a precarious moment for India, which was struggling at 221/7 after losing Rishabh Pant (28) and Ravindra Jadeja (17) earlier in the day. The 21-year-old remained undeterred by the increasing pressure and delivered an innings of incredible composure and determination, demonstrating his ability to rise to the challenge against a formidable Australian bowling line-up.

Mutayala Reddy’s unwavering belief in his son’s abilities led him to quit his permanent job at Hindustan Zinc in 2016 to focus on Nitish’s cricketing ambitions. This decision involved financial difficulties, sleepless nights and countless sacrifices, but Mutayala never wavered in his commitment.

“My father gave up his job for me,” revealed Nitish in a BCCI video. “Once I saw him cry because of the financial difficulties we were facing and it changed something in me. I realized I had to take cricket seriously – not just for myself but for him too. I still remember giving him my first jersey and seeing the happiness on his face. This moment became my motivation.

The innings also highlighted Reddy’s remarkable consistency throughout the series. Before his MCG exploits, he had made useful contributions with scores of 41, 38 not out, 42 and 16 in five innings of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

With India still trailing by 116 runs, Reddy’s role will continue to be crucial as he battles Mohammed Siraj again on day four.

(With IANS inputs)