Nitish Kumar Reddy thanked Mohammed Siraj for helping him get to his century.© AFP
India all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy thanked teammate Mohammed Siraj after the pacer played a big hand in the youngster registering his maiden Test century in the ongoing 4th Test against Australia on Saturday. For the unversed, Reddy was unbeaten on 99 when Siraj, India’s tail-ender, walked out to bat following Jasprit Bumrah’s dismissal. Australia captain Pat Cummins dismissed Jasprit Bumrah for a duck on the third ball of the 114th over, raising doubts over Reddy’s century. Siraj was the final India batter to walk out to the middle and he needed to survive three balls from Cummins’ over before Reddy could have the strike back.
Despite Cummins bowling at full throttle, Siraj managed to survive, allowing Reddy to retain strike for the next over. Reddy then hit Scott Boland for a boundary in the very next over to complete his century.
Had Siraj not survived that over from Cummins, Reddy would’ve been stranded on 99. The youngster acknowledged his teammate’s contribution, and thanked Siraj by teashing him over his remark on Jasprit Bumrah after the T20 World Cup final in Barbados earlier this year.
“I only believe in Jassi bhai, game changer player he is,” an emotional Siraj had said after Bumrah’s match-winning spell in the final against South Africa.
“I also believe in Siraj bhai,” Reddy captioned a photo of him hugging Siraj.
Reddy’s unbeaten 105 spearheaded a spirited Indian fightback as they reached 358/9, trailing Australia by 116 runs. Siraj was also unbeaten on 2.
Reddy entered the fray at a precarious moment for India were 221/7 after losing Rishabh Pant (28) and Ravindra Jadeja (17) early in the morning session. Undeterred by the mounting pressure, the 21-year-old produced an innings of incredible poise and determination, showcasing his ability to rise to the occasion against a formidable Australian bowling lineup.
(With ANI Inputs)
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