Australia vs India Test 4 Day 3: Nitish Kumar Reddy scores century as India fights back in MCG Test

Bad light and rain has put a stop to day 3 at the MCG, but not before Nitish Kumar Reddy announced himself as a new force in Test cricket with a stunning century. Recap day 3 here.

A tiring and achy Australia is facing an uphill task to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after India’s eighth-wicket pair defiantly held the hosts at bay on Saturday at the MCG.

After the tourists had pushed themselves towards the brink with a host of self-inflicted wounds late on day two and early on day three, the unheralded pair of Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar held firm, putting on 127 to frustrate Australia’s ageing attack.

A revelation with the bat in his debut Test series, Reddy posted his maiden ton minutes before play was halted by bad light with a glorious drive down the ground off local hero Scott Boland.

When rain ensured there would be no further play, India was 9-358 in its first innings, still trailing Australia by 116 but having pushed the Aussies much further than seemed likely on Friday night or at various points on Saturday morning.

RECAP ALL THE ACTION FROM DAY 3 BELOW

Having provided a much more sporting contest in recent years, the Melbourne wicket reverted to type. Cricviz data confirmed that the batting conditions on Saturday had been the easiest of the series, with Reddy and Washington making hay.

Mitchell Starc’s longstanding woeful record in the fourth Tests of series continued, with the left-armer remaining wicketless as of stumps.

Perhaps more alarmingly, the Aussie quick received attention from team physio Nick Jones during the day’s middle session after repeatedly reaching at his back in apparent discomfort.

It had all seemed very unlikely earlier in the day when Rishabh Pant fell for 28 after wildly miscuing a scoop off Scott Boland to be caught at deep third man by Nathan Lyon.

Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar ripped into Pant on ABC radio.

It was a frustrating day for the hosts. Picture: Martin KEEP / AFP

“Stupid, stupid, stupid!” You’ve got two fielders there and you still go for that. You missed the previous shot, and look where you’ve been caught,” Gavaskar said.

“That is throwing away your wicket. You cannot say that’s your natural game. I’m sorry, that is not your natural game. That is a stupid shot. That is letting your team down badly. You have to understand the situation as well.

“He should not be going in that (India’s) dressing room, he should be going into the other dressing room.”

Lyon then removed Ravindra Jadeja lbw for 17, leaving Australia well and truly in the box seat and hoping to set the match up with quick third innings runs later on Saturday.

But Washington and Reddy had other ideas. Both players are accomplished with the bat in first-class cricket and batting an extra spot down the order following the elevation of Akash Deep late on day two, the pair belied their respective batting positions to nullify the Aussie attack for much of the afternoon.

Washington said the team’s leaders had encouraged the tourists not to relent no matter the hurdles.

“They keep telling us to fight no matter what, and I think that is something that is instilled in us,” Washington said.

Lyon eventually broke through to remove Washington (50) via an edge to Steve Smith but the spinning all-rounder batted through 162 balls and saw off the new ball.

Starc’s bowling average in the fourth Tests of series has ballooned beyond 50 and selectors will have some thinking to do about whether he backs up in Sydney where his record is similarly unflattering and given there are only three days between the fourth and fifth Tests.

Mitch Marsh was also a non-factor, bowling just seven of 116 overs to this stage of the innings amid calls for him to be replaced by Beau Webster for the fifth Test.

Australia must win the series outright to regain the BGT, with the Aussies having not beaten India in a Test series since 2014-15.

Helpfully for the Aussies there is little rain forecast for either Sunday or Monday after a brief interruption on Saturday.

Originally published as Australia vs India Test 4 Day 3: Nitish Kumar Reddy scores century as India fights back in MCG Test