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Following a remarkable fightback on Day 3 of the fourth Border-Gavaskar Test in Melbourne on Saturday, Washington Sundar praised the team's resilience and lauded Nitish Kumar Reddy for his exceptional century. When India was struggling at 221/7, Sundar and Reddy formed a crucial 127-run partnership that helped stabilize the innings.
In the post-day press conference, Sundar shared insights into the team's fighting spirit, saying, "I mean, one thing, especially with Rohit Bhai [Sharma] and Gauti Bhai [Gambhir] and all the support staff, they keep telling us to fight no matter what, and I think that's something that has been instilled in us, in all of us, no matter what situation we are in, we will just fight no matter what and playing for India, you know, especially in a ground like MCG, a big occasion against Australia, Boxing Day Test, we'll do no matter what it takes for us to be in a good position. I think the day was definitely good today, very, very happy for Nitish, got an unbelievable 100 honestly, I'm sure this will be remembered forever." Sundar, who was eventually dismissed for a well-made half-century off 162 balls by Nathan Lyon, highlighted the significance of the day and the milestone achieved by Reddy. His remarks reflect the determination and dedication of the Indian team as they continue to fight back in challenging situations. With India ending the day at 358/9, trailing by 116 runs, the efforts of Sundar and Reddy have kept the team in contention, setting the stage for an intriguing continuation of the match. Reddy's unbeaten knock of 105 runs from 176 balls included 10 fours and one six, maintaining a strike rate of 59.66. Jasprit Bumrah was the last wicket to fall, who got out for a three-ball duck to Pat Cummins. Reddy reached his century in 171 balls, becoming the third youngest Indian to score a maiden Test century in Australia, following Sachin Tendulkar and Rishabh Pant. Tendulkar achieved his first century at 18 years and 256 days in 1992, while Pant reached his at 21 years and 92 days in Sydney in 2019. Reddy, at 21 years and 216 days, joins this elite group. Australian bowlers Pat Cummins and Scott Boland each took three wickets, with Nathan Lyon claiming two.Due to bad light and rain, early stumps were called, with India set to resume their innings on Sunday with Reddy and Mohammed Siraj (2*) at the crease. (ANI)
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