Perth [Australia], November 23 – Indian debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy played a pivotal knock of 41 runs off 59 balls, helping India post a total of 150 runs against Australia on the opening day of the Perth Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Reflecting on his innings, Reddy termed it a positive start, though he modestly admitted it wasn’t a dream performance.
“It was a good start. It’s not a dream innings, but it was a good start,” Reddy remarked during the post-day press conference.
Praise for Jasprit Bumrah’s Leadership
Reddy also spoke highly of Jasprit Bumrah, who is captaining the team in the absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma. Reddy appreciated Bumrah’s strategic acumen and how he managed the game.
“He’s very good. It’s my first Test match playing under Bumrah. It’s pretty hard to mention about his captaincy, but as of now, he’s been very good with the change of overs and everything, change of spells. I saw he’s very good,” Reddy said.
Motivation from Gautam Gambhir
The young cricketer credited Indian team head coach Gautam Gambhir for providing him with motivational advice that helped him during the match’s challenging moments.
“I had a chat with Gautam [Gambhir] Sir. He was mentioning when you get any bouncers or sharp spells, just take them onto your shoulders, feel like you are taking a bullet for your country. That really helped me a lot, it just boosted me up. That’s the best thing I have heard from Gautam Sir,” he added.
Match Recap
India, after opting to bat first, struggled as Australian bowlers struck at regular intervals. Apart from Nitish Kumar Reddy’s 41 and Rishabh Pant’s 37 off 78 balls, the batting lineup faltered against a disciplined bowling attack led by Josh Hazlewood, who picked up 4/29. Pat Cummins, Mitchell Marsh, and Mitchell Starc chipped in with two wickets each.
However, India made a strong comeback with their pacers, reducing Australia to 67/7 by the end of the day. Jasprit Bumrah’s fiery spell of 4/17 set the tone, supported by Harshit Rana and Mohammed Siraj.
Looking Ahead
The stage is set for an intense contest as India aims to capitalize on their strong bowling performance, while Australia looks to recover from a dire position on day two of the Perth Test.
