50 Pe Pushpa, 100 Par Bahubali! Nitish Reddy Brings Out Love For South Indian Movies During 4th Test

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Nitish Kumar Reddy marked a significant milestone in his budding career by scoring a brilliant century at the MCG during the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, aiding India in narrowing the gap on Australia's first-innings lead.

The 21-year-old reached his maiden Test hundred at the iconic venue after stepping in with India struggling at 221-7, still trailing by over 250 runs.

Reddy showcased resilience, staying at the crease unbeaten as rain brought an early halt to proceedings on Saturday, forcing the players off the field.

But apart from his gritty hundred, it was also celebrations which caught everyone's eye. When Reddy reached to his hundred, he celebrated by pulling off the iconic Pushpa hand-pose from the movie, Pushpa, starring Allu Arjun. After he reached the 3-figure mark, he went down to his knees to do the Baahubali-pose from the movie Baahubali, starring Prabhas.

Hailing from Andhra Pradesh, Reddy surely has a fondness for movies, specially from the South Indian industry.

Nitish's innings was paced efficiently without unnecessary risks as the third day offered ideal batting conditions. He avoided the common mistake of attempting a ramp shot against Pat Cummins' short deliveries, a flaw that had led to his dismissal in Adelaide. Despite taking a blow to his glove from a rising delivery, Nitish chose not to engage with it aggressively.

Displaying composure from the outset, he confidently executed crisp drives against the pacers and stepped out to attack Nathan Lyon. His otherwise measured approach included just one bold moment-a reverse sweep attempt against Scott Boland. Continuing his disciplined knock into the final session, Nitish remained focused while his father, watching anxiously from the stands, fervently prayed for his century.

Brief scores: India 358/9 (Nitish Reddy 105*, Yashasvi Jaiswal 82; Scott Boland 3-57) trail Australia 474 (Steve Smith 140, Marnus Labuschagne 72; Jasprit Bumrah 4-99) by 116 runs.