Emotional celebrations for Reddy family after Nitish slams maiden Test century

Since the international retirement of superstar all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, Team India has struggled to find a suitable replacement. But with a gritty century under challenging circumstances on the third day of the Boxing Day Test against Australia at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, Nitish Kumar Reddy seems to have offered new hopes to Indian cricket fans.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

India has a new batting hero after 21-year-old Nitish Kumar Reddy showed the poise of a veteran to score his maiden century, leading his team's comeback against Australia on day three of the fourth test.

At stumps on Saturday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, India (358-9) still trailed Australia (474) by 116 runs on the first innings, but it could have been much worse.

Reddy, playing in just his fourth test and batting at No. 8, rescued India from a shaky 221-7, sharing a 127-run partnership with Washington Sundar (50).

The pair fell two runs shy of equaling the record for an eighth-wicket partnership for India versus Australia of 129 which was set by Harbhajan Singh and Sachin Tendulkar at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January 2008.

Spin-bowling all-rounder Sundar offered a difficult chance off the back of his bat to second slip on 18, which was dropped by a diving Steve Smith as Mitchell Starc bowled the first over with the second new ball.