AUS vs IND: 4th Test, Day 3, Talking Points – NKR, Sundar keep India alive in the game
The third day of the fourth Test in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-24 in Melbourne saw India’s lower-order batters fight back to avoid the follow-on and keep their hopes alive.
The Indian team continued to bat from their overnight score of 164/5. Indian all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy was the star of the show as he smashed his maiden Test ton. Reddy was complemented well by Washington Sundar, with both putting a historic and potentially match-saving 8th wicket stand.
The Aussie bowlers, headed by Pat Cummins and Scott Boland, ran through the Indian batting line-up sharing six wickets between them. India’s current score stands at 358/9 with Reddy and Mohammed Siraj on strike. The visitors are still trailing by 116 runs. Due to bad weather, stumps were called early.
Here are the talking points from Day 3:
3. Rishabh Pant’s poor shot selection draws criticism
Rishabh Pant’s unorthodox shot selection drew criticism from former India captain Sunil Gavaskar. Pant, looking good on 28 off 37 balls, attempted a scoop against Scott Boland despite two fielders positioned in the deep. After narrowly avoiding dismissal on the previous delivery, he repeated the risky shot, giving an easy catch to Nathan Lyon at deep third off a leading edge. Gavaskar pointed out that while Pant plays attacking shots, he needs to be more cautious, especially in challenging match situations.
2. Reddy, Sundar help India avoid follow-on
The visitors were struggling at 191/6, and that is when Nitish Reddy partnering with Washington Sundar, took the onus on them to take India out of critical situations as the pair put up a 127-run stand. Both batters helped India avoid the follow-on and reduce the deficit.
1. NKR tons up
The young Nitish Kumar has been exceptional throughout the series. He got starts until now but this time he went a notch ahead as he smashed his maiden Test ton in front of a jam-packed MCG. Reddy scored a couple of 40s and finally broke the barrier in the historic encounter of a landmark series. His century didn’t come without some drama as India lost Washington Sundar and Jasprit Bumrah in quick succession, leaving just Mohammed Siraj as the final wicket. But Siraj played some impressive defensive strokes which helped Reddy to reach the three-figure mark.
