Melbourne: The fourth match of the five-match Border Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia is being played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Today, i.e. Saturday, is the third day of the Boxing Day Test match. On the second day of the game, Australia scored 474 runs in their first innings and in response, India scored more than 300 runs in the second session on the third day. All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy played an important role in taking India to this score.

India started the third day at 164 for five. The first challenge for the Indian team was to avoid the follow-on and all hopes were pinned on Nitish. Nitish did not disappoint Team India and scored the first half-century of his Test career.

The young batsman is performing brilliantly in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. He played another brilliant innings in the first innings of the Melbourne Test and scored the first half-century of his Test career.

Nitish celebrated his first Test half-century in 'Pushpa' style

Nitish Reddy completed his half-century after lunch on the third day of the Melbourne Test. He completed his fifty in 81 balls. Nitish Kumar Reddy had scored 40 plus three times earlier in this series. But a half-century came from his bat in Melbourne. After the half-century, Nitish Reddy celebrated in the style of Allu Arjun's film Pushpa, the video of which is going viral on social media.

Nitish's half-century helped India avert the threat of follow-on

On the basis of Nitish and Washington Sundar's wonderful partnership, India has averted the threat of follow-on in the fourth Test. Due to Reddy's innings, India has reached the score of 274 runs in the first innings, with this the Indian team has also avoided the follow-on. In reply to Australia's 474 runs, the Indian team has scored 311 runs for 7 wickets in the first innings till the time of writing the news and is still 163 runs behind India's score.

Nitish Reddy's performance in this series

Perth Test - 41 and 38 not out Nitish Reddy completed his half-century after lunch on the third day of the Melbourne Test. He completed his fifty in 81 balls. Nitish Kumar Reddy had scored 40 plus three times before this in this series.
Adelaide Test - 42 and 42 runs
Brisbane Test - 16 runs
Melbourne Test - 50 runs *