Patiala, 28 December (Sports Desk)
Two of India’s youngest touring players put on a batting masterclass, pulling their team back into contention on day three of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.
Nitish Kumar Reddy’s maiden Test century (102*) and Washington Sundar’s valuable half-century injected new life into the match as India fought back against Australia. At stumps, affected by poor light and rain, India reached 358/9, still trailing Australia’s first innings total of 474 by 116 runs.
Reddy looked set for a comfortable century with Sundar at the other end. However, Sundar’s dismissal, followed by Jasprit Bumrah’s duck, left Reddy stranded on 99 with Mohammed Siraj (2*) as his last batting partner. Siraj successfully negotiated some tense deliveries from Australian captain Pat Cummins (3/86), allowing Reddy to find the boundary and reach his hundred, further reducing the deficit.
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The 127-run partnership between Reddy and Sundar proved crucial, with Australian bowlers toiling without much success on a cooler Melbourne day. Only four wickets fell on the day, with Rishabh Pant (28) and Ravindra Jadeja (17) being dismissed during the morning session as Australia sought breakthroughs.
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Reddy’s innings has given India renewed hope with two days remaining in this crucial ICC World Test Championship (WTC) encounter. All results remain possible as both teams aim for a spot in the 2025 WTC Final at Lord’s. The series is currently level at 1-1, adding further significance to the match.
Beyond the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, both teams are also competing for WTC points. Australia currently holds second position (58.89% of possible points), while India is third (55.88%). South Africa currently leads the WTC table with 63.33% of possible points and is engaged in a Test match against Pakistan in Centurion.
