Nitish Kumar Reddy couldn’t hide his pride as he clicked photos of his and Jasprit Bumrah’s names etched on the prestigious Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) honours board. On Tuesday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a heartfelt video capturing the moment. In the Boxing Day Test of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Reddy achieved a personal milestone, scoring his maiden Test century—an impressive 114 off 189 balls.
At the same time, Bumrah added to his legacy by claiming another five-wicket haul, taking 5/57 in Australia’s second innings. Nitish Reddy’s name now sits alongside that of Ajinkya Rahane, who had scored a match-winning century as India’s captain during the 2020 Boxing Day Test—a knock that played a pivotal role in changing the course of that series.
Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah’s name is etched under his own from his memorable five-wicket performance at the same venue in 2018. Both Reddy and Bumrah’s achievements were historic. Reddy’s 114 made him the youngest Indian to score a century in a Boxing Day Test and the third-youngest player to score a ton in Australia after Sachin Tendulkar and Rishabh Pant.
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Additionally, it was the highest score ever by a batter batting at number eight or lower at the MCG, and the highest score by a number eight or lower Indian batter in Australia.
Magnificent 5️⃣-wicket haul 🤝 Special Maiden 💯
Vice Captain Jasprit Bumrah and Nitish Kumar Reddy’s names are etched on the Honours Board of Melbourne Cricket Ground ✍️ 👏#TeamIndia | #AUSvIND | @Jaspritbumrah93 | @NKReddy07 pic.twitter.com/4tat5F0N6e
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 31, 2024
“I wanted to perform well in Australia so that everyone would recognize me and see what I am capable of. I let my bat do the talking,” Nitish Reddy said after his remarkable innings. “I was so thankful for the moment, and when I saw my father, he was crying. I always dreamed of making him proud.”
Bumrah, on the other hand, became only the third Indian bowler to take two five-wicket hauls at the MCG in Tests, joining Kapil Dev and BS Chandrasekhar. In addition, he became the first-ever bowler to take more than 200 Test wickets at an average of under 20. Despite these record-breaking performances, India suffered a significant 184-run defeat, which handed Australia a 2-1 lead in the series.
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With the final Test in Sydney set for January 3-7, India must win to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and keep their hopes alive of qualifying for the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) final. Reddy, who is the second-highest run-scorer for India in the series, and Bumrah, the leading wicket-taker, will once again play crucial roles in India’s quest for victory.
