On Saturday (December 28), Nitish Kumar Reddy’s maiden test hundred created history as he became the first Indian batter to score a ton at No.8 or lower in the order.

The Visakhapatnam-born all-rounder’s first international century in the Boxing Day test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) became the trending talk of the town.

The way he batted to achieve a sensational milestone in his career proved to be much more thrilling for the Andhra fans than the recent blockbuster Tollywood movie Pushpa 2.

Interestingly, the entire team of the Pushpa went on their official social media page to congratulate the Vizag cricketer for his WILDFIRE knock against the mighty Australians.

Earlier, the South Indian reached the 40s in this series four times but didn’t receive an opportunity to convert into his career-best test score.

Day 3 of the fourth test in the current Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 showed Nitish’s resilience by stitching a 127-run partnership for the 8th wicket along with Washington Sundar after the dismissals of Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant.

Moreover, the Andhra all-rounder inaugurated his maiden half-century with Pushpa Raj’s signature (the protagonist’s name in the Pushpa movie). The crowd at MCG erupted when Nitish Reddy celebrated his memorable century by recreating the Telugu actor Prabhas’ iconic pose from the mega-blockbuster movie Baahubali. This shows his love for South Indian films.

Also, he became the third-youngest Indian after Sachin Tendulkar and Rishabh Pant to score a hundred in tests on Australian soil.

Nitish Reddy Scripts History at MCG with his Maiden International Ton

Nitish Kumar Reddy arrived at the crease at 191-6 after Pant’s dismissal as India required another 84 runs to avoid a follow-on. He achieved his fifty in 81 balls and was aware that the job wasn’t fully done as another 207 runs were required for the visitors to take a lead in the innings.

Sundar’s dismissal after scoring a 162-ball fifty left the 21-year-old uncertain about reaching his landmark with just 3 runs required. 

The suspense began among the crowd at MCG along with his father Mutalya Reddy watching his son nervously from the stands. Furthermore, the tension doubled after Jasprit Bumrah failed to provide support as a tailender losing his wicket to the Aussie captain for a 3-ball-duck.

Ultimately, the credit goes to Mohammed Siraj for successfully defending the last three balls of the Cummins over to ensure Nitish gets back the strike in the next over.

The right-handed batter struck a lofted shot down the ground in the third ball of the 115th over bowed by Scott Boland and registered a fantastic knock that will be remembered for ages.

However, India at the end of Day 3 still trails by 116 runs holding onto a total of 358-9 at stumps in 115 overs with Nitish Reddy remaining not out scoring 105 runs out of 176 balls faced (including 10 fours and 1 six at a strike rate of 59.66).

Nitish Kumar Reddy’s Attempt to Cross 50-Plus Run Mark in BGT 2024-25

Starting from the series opener in Perth to the ongoing Boxing Day test, the below tabulated scores highlight Nitish Reddy’s numerous attempts to convert his 40s into a maiden half-century:

Record-Breaking Moments from Nitish Kumar Reddy’s Century at MCG in BGT 2024-25

Here are the noteworthy records Nitish Reddy achieved by scoring his first international ton against Australia in the Boxing Day test at MCG:

1. Third-Youngest Indian Batter to score a first test century vs Australia:

2. Second-Highest 8th Wicket or Lower Partnership for India vs Australia:

3. First Indian Batter to Score a Century for India at No.8 Spot or Below:

Final Opinion:

Nitish’s father resigned from a secure government job at Hindustan Zinc to stay in Andhra and support his son’s goals, which sparked an emotional moment for fans.

Ultimately, it was a special day for his family as Mutalya Reddy’s sacrifice and years of efforts gave birth to the future star all-rounder of the Indian cricket team.