Nitish Kumar Reddy blends bravado with balance to enter the 'big league' with maiden Test century at MCG

Nitish Kumar Reddy has got all the moves. On reaching his maiden half-century at the gargantuan Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday, he reprised a scene from the movie Pushpa – running the blade of his bat under his chin. Three and a half hours later, when he brought up his first Test century, he drew inspiration from Baahubali, going down on one knee, placing his helmet on top of the bat handle.

Nitish Kumar Reddy has also got game. The game -- for Test cricket. He isn’t just about dramatics and the theatrical. He is the real deal, a Test cricketer every inch of the way even if it is the upstart, the 20-over format and the IPL, specifically, that brought him into national consciousness, onto the radar of the national selectors.

In the preceding games in a series notable for the sustained failings of the Indian batters, Nitish showcased an aggressive mien while top-scoring three times in five completed innings. He extended that run to four times out of six with a magical unbeaten 103, which captivated an 83,000-plus crowd so much that it waited with bated breath for the young lad to tick over from 99 and erupted without inhibition when he surged past three-figures with a crisp, on-driven four off Scott Boland.

Four other Indians have scored a century in their first Test outing at the MCG. By joining Vinoo Mankad, Sunil Gavaskar, Virender Sehwag and Ajinkya Rahane, Nitish has gatecrashed into an elite, stellar club. From all accounts, this is just the beginning of the road for the 21-year-old from Visakhapatnam with the calmness and composure of someone much older, much more battle-familiar, much wiser.

It's impossible to say with any certainty what emotions ran through his mind once he reached the first special milestone in his cricketing journey. The first century, past masters will tell you, is the most memorable. VVS Laxman spoke of how, when he made 167 in Sydney in early 2000, he was finally convinced that he belonged at the Test level. Today’s generation of cricketers might not harbour such self-doubts, but this superb effort at the MCG must validate Nitish’s belief in his credentials, in his skills and abilities, in his propensity to respond to and deliver under pressure. It must also convince the decision-makers that if not immediately, he deserves a move up the order in the not-too-distant future, with India entering the cusp of transition and a talent brimful of potential now ready for sterner challenges.

That’s not to say that Saturday at the MCG wasn’t without challenges. Rishabh Pant carried adventurism a step too far and Ravindra Jadeja fell prey to the guile of Nathan Lyon, feeling his age at 37 but still capable of producing wicket-taking deliveries, reducing India to 221 for seven with Australia’s 474 a million miles away. The profusion of all-rounders and the artificial extension of the batting order because nightwatchman Akash Deep batted at No. 5 meant even when they were seven down, India had reasonably good batting resources available. Provided Nitish and Washington Sundar put their heads down and got their acts together with commonsense rather than the kind of bravado Pant invested in.

Washington has troubled Australia in the past, most notably in Brisbane on debut in January 2021, while Nitish has been more of a recent pest with cameos in Perth and Adelaide. Nitish does play under Pat Cummins and alongside Travis Head at Sunrisers Hyderabad – where Daniel Vettori, Australia’s current spin consultant, is the head coach – and they would have had a great idea of what skills possesses as a T20 batter, but even they might have been taken by surprise at how he ground out a century when batting without inhibition comes more naturally to him.

Adapting to the format

The hallmark of a good Test batter lies in his adaptability, in being able to meet the demands of the situation, in surging to the team’s rescue when it’s in trouble. Nitish swapped robes just he swapped celebrations later on, slipping into a more watchful version of himself without going strokeless or scoreless. The modern-day batter in him thought little of opening his shoulders and depositing Lyon for a straight-field six even though long-on was lurking for a mishit. The traditionalist in him steadfastly ignored balls in the corridor outside off when Australia used a wide line and a 7-2 field in a bid to test his patience.

Washington was his comrade in arms during a stand of 127 but Mohammed Siraj must be Nitish’s current favourite. It was only because the No. 11 blocked three balls from Cummins that Nitish got a chance to convert 99 to 103. Once he did so, he slumped into Siraj’s arms in delight and relief, a broad grin lighting up his face even as dark clouds gathered ominously overhead. Welcome to the big league, Nitish Kumar Reddy.