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Ravi Shastri was in the Hindi commentary box when Reddy got his hundred. The former India head coach’s voice brimmed with sentiments when he lauded the young Indian batter.
Ravi Shastri gets emotional as Nitish Reddy smashes hundred at MCG
It was an emotional moment for Nitish Reddy’s family when the young batter notched up his maiden Test hundred at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). He played a lofted drive off Scott Boland’s delivery to reach the milestone with a boundary, giving the Indian fans a reason to cheer. His father, seated in the front of the MCG stands, had tears in his eyes as he shouted with glee.
Emotions were galore in the Hindi commentary box as well. Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan and TV presenter Jatin Sapru erupted in sheer elation while former India head coach Ravi Shastri was in tears and his voice brimmed with sentiments.
Reddy became the third youngest Indian batter to score a Test hundred in Australia. The moment he achieved the feat, he balanced his helmet with the bat, took a knee, and expressed heartfelt gratitude towards the Indian dugout.
“Yeh aankon mein aansoo dene wala 100 hai, sirf pitaji ka nahi mere khyal pura crowd jo yahan pe hai sabke aankh mein aansu honge,” (This is a tearful moment, not just for his Dad, but I believe everyone in the crowd here will have tears in their eyes) Shastri said on air.
Reddy’s innings was termed as one of the greatest Test knocks by the legendary Sunil Gavaskar given the situation India were in after Rishabh Pant’s dismissal. The Andhra batter’s invaluable 127-run stand with Washington Sundar (50 off 162 balls) proved to be the turning point for the hosts.
Reddy’s unbeaten 105 took India to 358 for nine, still 116 runs short of Australia’s first innings score of 474 as rain brought an early end to the third day’s play. The youngster virtually bailed India out with his dogged maiden Test century here on Saturday, severely denting Australia’s hopes of winning the Boxing Day contest. With the flat MCG deck not offering much to the bowlers, saving the Test match shouldn’t be a big deal for India. Reddy, easily India’s ‘find of the series’, played a pivotal role in the visitors’ fightback.
- Location :
Melbourne, Australia
