By Ian Ransom
MELBOURNE -Nitish Kumar Reddy scored a defiant, maiden fifty to help India avoid the follow-on before rain brought tea early on day three of the fourth test against Australia on Saturday.
Reddy was 85 not out, with Washington Sundar on 40, the young all-rounders having built a 105-run partnership at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to thwart the home bowlers throughout the session.
While still 148 runs short of Australia’s first innings total of 474, Reddy and Sundar’s stand was a beacon of hope for the tourists, who have been comprehensively outplayed in the test to date.
Australia developed a major injury concern in the latter half of the session, with paceman Mitchell Starc pinching at his back with an apparent muscle strain.
A team physio attended to Starc as he fielded in the deep.
India resumed on 244 for seven after lunch, still 31 runs short of avoiding the follow-on, after wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant holed out for 28 with a poor reverse scoop in the morning and Nathan Lyon trapped all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja lbw for 17.
Sundar was dropped on 18 early in the middle session when he attempted a leg-side glance that sent an inside edge flying behind the wicket.
Steve Smith lunged across from second slip but grassed the one-handed chance.
Reddy brought up his first test fifty in style with a lofted square drive which despatched a loose Starc delivery to the ropes for four.
The 21-year-old brought up the 100-partnership with Sundar with a sumptuous cover drive. It was made all the more sweet for Indian fans in a huge day three crowd when Lyon stumbled at the boundary to concede a four.
While still vulnerable, India were in a far better position than when they started in the morning at 164 for five, desperately needing a galvanising partnership from wicketkeeper Pant and Jadeja.
Instead, Pant squandered his start with a botched reverse scoop off paceman Scott Boland to be caught for 28, a top-edge ballooning to Lyon at third man.
Lyon then broke a 30-run partnership between Reddy and Jadeja by dismissing the latter lbw.
While his senior teammates fell by the way-side, Reddy continued to impress in his debut test series.
His sound technique and composure in the lower order was a relief for Indian fans following his teammates’ shaky start in the morning.
The five-test series is level at 1-1, with the final match to come in Sydney.
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