Boria Majumdar in Melbourne
Rishabh Pant had just played a shot that he’d not want to remember. India were still less than 200 and the sixth wicket had fallen. There was a familiar dejection among the Indian fans in the stands. Yet again, the batting had failed and Australia were poised to take a 200-plus lead. And, in such a scenario, the game was all but done.
Walk in Nitish Kumar Reddy. The very first shot he played was one of confidence. Here was an in-form player who meant business. He wasn’t overawed by Pat Cummins or Mitchell Starc steaming in and nor was he bothered about the huge MCG crowd. He was intent on taking calculated risks and the straight six of Nathan Lyon was evidence of his mindset. Even when he lost Ravindra Jadeja at the other end a little before lunch, Reddy was unfazed. With Washington Sundar in tow, he had started the rescue act.
Post lunch, I for one, felt Reddy and Sundar would attack the old ball and try and get a few more runs before the second new ball was taken. It was a thought born out of fear. For Reddy and Sundar, it just did not matter. They negotiated the second new ball with ease and soon after, settled in to play some fantastic shots.
First, the follow-on was saved and then, all of a sudden, there was a sense of anticipation everywhere. Australian fans eagerly waiting to see Sam Konstas bat again were seeing something very different. Two young and brave Indian batters, fighting it out and not prepared to give an inch. Even after the rain interruption, when Australia had time to regroup, Reddy and Sundar were not remotely perturbed.