Nitish Kumar Reddy’s father, Mutyala Reddy, was emotional as he watched his son play against Australia on Day 3 of the fourth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Standing in the front row, Nitish’s father prayed while his son faced tough bowlers like Pat Cummins and Scott Boland.
When Nitish hit a shot over the mid-on fielder, his father couldn’t hold back tears and joined his hands in prayer. Indian fans around him congratulated him, and a video of this moment went viral online. While his father celebrated, Nitish kneeled on the field, placed his bat in the ground, and put his helmet on top, with Mohammed Siraj by his side.
Talking to former Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist, Mutyala said it was a special day for India and their family. “First 100. Special moment,” he said. “For our family, it’s a special day we will never forget. He has been performing well since he was 14-15 years old, and now in international cricket, it’s very special.”
Mutyala admitted he was nervous when Nitish was batting on 99, especially because Mohammed Siraj was at the other end. “I was very tense. Only the last wicket was remaining. Thankfully, Siraj managed to survive,” he said.
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The play ended early on Day 3 due to bad light. India finished the day at 358/9 in 116 overs, trailing by 116 runs after Australia’s first innings total of 474. Nitish (105 not out) and Siraj (2 not out) will continue on Day 4. Nitish came to bat when India was struggling at 191/6. With Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja already out, the pressure was on Nitish and Washington Sundar. They did well, adding 127 runs for the eighth wicket.
