Sanjay Manjrekar and Nitish Reddy (agency photos)

NEW DELHI: Team India all-rounder Nitish Kumar ReddyOn the third day of the fourth Test against Australia, he captivated cricket circles with his maiden Test hundred and his determined batting earned high praise from former Indian internationals.
Reddy came into the game at a precarious 191/6 and delivered a remarkable unbeaten 105 from 176 deliveries. In doing so, he took India to 358/9 at stumps, just 116 runs behind Australia’s impressive total of 474 in the first innings.
Reddy’s partnership with Washington Sundar, which brought 127 runs for the eighth wicket, proved crucial in India not only avoiding the aftermath but also fighting their way back into the contest.
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On Star Sports, former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar expressed his admiration for Reddy’s innings and marveled at how a player with a modest first-class average of 22 could display such maturity and skill on the big stage.
“Both (Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy) play T20 cricket. In fact, Nitish was retained by his franchise in the IPL but the hunger for it Test cricket is still alive. Today, after the break, he scored 22 runs in 16 overs and knew he couldn’t afford to lose his wicket. The way he left the ball, when I see these things in modern cricketers, I feel Indian cricket is in safe hands,” Manjrekar remarked.
“Test cricket always seems to be an old-fashioned format and our new-fangled boys crave Test match success. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Washington Sundar and now Nitish Kumar Reddy, the way they left the deliveries out.” Nitish Kumar Reddy’s first-class average is 22 but I don’t think I have anything like the depth, that he showed in his shots today, I’ve seen it from a player with such experience.”

Irfan Pathan echoed this sentiment and highlighted the historical significance of the duo’s efforts. He praised their ability to create a no-chance partnership under pressure, which not only frustrated the Australian bowlers but also changed the momentum in India’s favour.
“The biggest thing is that there has never been a case where the number 8 and 9 batsmen in the Indian team have played more than 300 deliveries, this has never happened in history. This brilliant partnership is the reason India is still alive in this Test because if both of them hadn’t played 300 deliveries, Australia would have been in the dominant position. We would have talked about how Australia would be looking forward to finishing the game on the fourth day itself, but these players have changed the situation,” Pathan pointed out.
Through intelligent batting rotation and timely boundaries, Reddy and Sundar demonstrated the importance of partnerships in Test cricket.
As India heads into the fourth day, their resilience gives the visitors hope of salvaging a result, with Nitish Kumar Reddy now a promising beacon for India’s future in the longest format.