Sunil Gavaskar Declares Nitish Kumar Reddy a Rising Star of Indian Cricket
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Melbourne, Dec 28 (NationPress) The legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has hailed Nitish Kumar Reddy as a prominent figure in Indian cricket following the young talent's maiden Test century, which helped the team escape from a challenging situation in the ongoing fourth Test against Australia at Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The all-rounder finished the day unbeaten on 105, having built a critical 127-run partnership with Washington Sundar for the eighth wicket, bringing India's score to 385/9 in response to Australia’s 474.
“This is his first Test century, and I believe he will achieve many more in the future. I expect to see him scoring consistently going forward. He truly is a star of Indian cricket,” Gavaskar stated on Star Sports.
The former captain of India emphasized that the 21-year-old all-rounder has a promising future ahead if he remains grounded.
“However, he must always remember the sacrifices made by his father and family. Nitish is where he is because of Indian cricket, and he needs to ensure he doesn’t take this for granted. If he stays true to himself, a successful career awaits him,” he added.
Reddy's impressive century featured 10 fours and a six, as India successfully evaded the follow-on threat and held off Australia throughout the day's play after losing Rishabh Pant (28) and Ravindra Jadeja (17) early on Saturday.
Former head coach and all-rounder Ravi Shastri has suggested that Reddy be promoted in the batting order following his consistent performances during the tour. Prior to the MCG Test, he had scores of 41, 38 not out, 42, 42, and 16 over five innings in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
“Given his current form, this should be the last time he bats at number 7. To maintain the team balance, he needs to bat higher, at either number 5 or 6, which will allow the team to field five bowlers for the necessary 20 wickets. He has instilled that confidence in the selectors and team management,” Shastri commented during the tea break on Day 3.
“Reddy is fully capable of batting in the top 6, which would change the overall balance of the game,” he added. “With him batting in the top 6, you would head to Sydney with five bowlers,” he said.
Reddy will again be under the spotlight on Sunday as India still trails by 116 runs. Partnering with tailender Mohammed Siraj, the young player will aim to minimize the deficit to provide the Indian bowlers an advantage in the match.
