Fri Nov 22 12:23:48 UTC 2024: ## India’s Nitish Kumar Reddy shines on Test debut despite team’s low score
**Perth, Australia:** India’s first innings in the Perth Test against Australia ended on a disappointing 150 all out, but debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy emerged as a bright spot, top-scoring with a confident 41. Coming to the crease at 73/6, Reddy adopted a positive approach, punishing loose deliveries from the Australian bowlers. His knock included six fours and a stunning six over third man off his IPL captain, Pat Cummins. This six, an upper cut that Marnus Labuschagne attempted to catch at the boundary but missed, was particularly memorable. Reddy’s 48-run partnership with Rishabh Pant for the seventh wicket helped India surpass the 100-run mark. Despite his impressive batting, Reddy did not get a chance to bowl on his debut.
The 21-year-old pace all-rounder was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for ₹20 lakh in 2023 and retained for the same price last season. His impressive performances in the IPL and a T20 series against Bangladesh earned him a significant pay hike this year, with Hyderabad retaining him for ₹6 crore. While Reddy’s individual performance stood out, India’s overall batting struggled, with only four players reaching double figures. The team’s innings was further overshadowed by the subsequent collapse of the Australian batting order, which was swiftly dismantled by the Indian pace attack.
First Piper 