Nitish Kumar Reddy injected hope back into the Indian dressing room on the back of his maiden Test century at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the Boxing Day Test match. Nitish went back unbeaten on 105 at stumps on Day 3 as he carried India from 191/6 to 358/9.

India's tour of Australia brought spotlight to Nitish Kumar Reddy's impressive batting, unexpectedly showcasing his potential as a core batter rather than a bowling allrounder. His Test century at MCG under pressure against a strong opposition has raised questions about possible promotion up the batting order and re-evaluation of team balance.

Batting at No. 8, Reddy delivered a remarkable knock under pressure to help India avoid the follow-on. The right-handed batter reached his first Test fifty in 81 deliveries, hitting four boundaries and a six.