The fans are often called the twelfth-man army in a sport like cricket and the unwavering energy fuels the respective teams and drives them to do better. However, this has usually led to conflicts in various cases as was the case at the MCG on the eve of the Boxing Day Test’s third day.
Australia carried their spark from the last twenty minutes of the second day’s play to the morning session on Saturday as Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja fell in the first session. However, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar pulled the visitors out of scrutiny with a mammoth 127 runs eighth-wicket stand that changed the momentum of the game in Australia’s favour. Fifty from Sundar and a ton from Nitish were the highlight of the day as the duo kept the Aussie bowlers at bay, setting up India’s 358/9 total before bad light forced Stumps.
Nitish’s scintillating century indeed caught a lot of public attention with his emotional father at the venue being in the spotlight. Amidst all the intense action on the third day, the attention switched to a fan war between the Indian and Australian supporters. Spectators at Bay 13 and 14 of the MCG were seen indulging in a war of boos and yells during the play. The heat of the Border Gavaskar Trophy was well observed in them with the Twitterverse labeling it as a Battle Royale.
The real BGT is happening between Bay 13 and Bay 14 #AUSvIND #MCG #BoxingDayTest pic.twitter.com/bqKO9cqLUN
— Kartik Kannan (@kartik_kannan) December 28, 2024
Today at MCG, Nitish Kumar Reddy played one of the Finest Test Innings when India were in a spot of bother 💯
His Dad in Tears 🥹
Indian Fans in Tears 🇮🇳
Commentators Overwhelmed 😯#nitishkumarreddy #INDvsAUSpic.twitter.com/aXeSBikUBJ— Richard Kettleborough (@RichKettle07) December 28, 2024
Superb
New world
Oscar piastri being at the mcg rn is all my worlds colliding
— mith ♡ (@bckleyss) December 28, 2024
Nitish Kumar Reddy’s journey to a Test hundred at the MCG is a true testament to perseverance:
• His father left his job to support Nitish’s cricket career.
• From the age of 14, Nitish lived away from his family to chase his dream.
• There were moments when he contemplated… pic.twitter.com/5GV2Wk52Mv— Madhav Sharma (@HashTagCricket) December 28, 2024
Fire!
First ever!
getting your first test hundred in the MCG with your father watching it live and celebrating, this is what dreams are made of !!!! pic.twitter.com/rrrixxUFn2
— Priyajit 2.O (@Rohitswarrior1) December 28, 2024
Nitish Kumar Reddy’s century at the MCG is a historic moment!❤️🔥#nitishkumarreddy #INDvsAUS #BGT2025 pic.twitter.com/KCNkbNhpFu
— Surya (@Surya187111) December 28, 2024
Good
Sweet
⚡VIDEO OF THE DAY: NITISH KUMAR REDDY’S MCG MASTERCLASS.
The roar of the crowd, the iconic MCG, and that moment when Nitish Kumar Reddy brought up his sensational century!
A celebration filled with passion, pride, and pure cricketing magic! 🏏pic.twitter.com/mJ9E88Dn0k— SaffronSoul (@TheRealDharm) December 28, 2024
