Nitish Kumar Reddy had a dream Test debut as he got the chance to play his first match in the longest format in one of the biggest stage of Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Nitish Reddy made sure he make his debut remembered as played a crucial yet brave knock of 41 runs to rescue India on Day 1 of the Perth Test against Australia. India were teetering at 73/6 but it was Nitish who rallied the visitors to 150-run mark.
After the Day 1 stump, Nitish revealed a crucial chat with India's head coach Gautam Gambhir which brought out the best in him. On a Perth pitch, where Australian bowlers were breathing fire and kept on rattling Indian batters with their sheer pace and bounce it was Gambhir's message which stayed with Nitish. It helped the star all-rounder negotiate the Josh Hazlewood-led Australia's lethal bowling attack.
"I was having a chat with Gautam Gambhir sir. He told me, any bouncer just play it over your shoulder. Take it like a bullet for your country. That's the best thing," Nitish said after the opening day's play.
The 21-year-old arrived at the crease when India were in a precarious position. He formed a crucial 48-run partnership with Rishabh Pant for the seventh wicket. The debutant showcased impressive strokeplay, including confident reverse sweeps against Nathan Lyon. In a thrilling moment during the 48th over, Pat Cummins bowled a short ball aimed at Reddy's shoulder. Reddy responded with a brilliant uppercut, sending the ball over the slip cordon and narrowly evading Marnus Labuschagne at third man. This audacious shot earned him praise from commentators for his skill and composure.
Talking about the match, India dominated the first day of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy's opening Test in Perth, restricting Australia to a precarious 67/7 at stumps. Australia, who are responding to India's first innings total of 150, trail by 83 runs with just three wickets remaining.
Nitish's rise to prominence
The 21-year-old has made significant strides in his young career. In 23 First-Class matches for Andhra, he has claimed 56 wickets at an average of 26.98 and scored 779 runs at an average of 21.05, including one century and two half-centuries.
While primarily known as a bowling all-rounder, Nitish gained prominence during the 2024 Indian Premier League season. Representing the Sunrisers Hyderabad, he impressed with both bat and ball. He amassed 303 runs at a strike rate of 142.92 and picked up three wickets.
Nitish made his international debut in the T20I series against Bangladesh. In his debut match, he delivered a match-winning performance, scoring a blistering 74 runs off 34 balls and claiming two wickets.
