Former Indian players were emotional, and they cried when Nitish Kumar Reddy completed a hundred, his maiden in the fourth Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The 21-year-old amassed 114 runs in front of greats like Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Nathan Lyon. Mark Nicholas, who played first-class cricket in England, was also up on his toes, praying for the batter’s hundred. He didn’t sit down in the commentatory box till Nitish reached the three-figure mark.

“I don’t care who you are. Whether you are a Pakistani or an Indian, everyone wanted Nitish to score a hundred for the sake of cricket. The fans were united for a young player who was chasing his dream. A dream of his father and a family who sacrificed everything for their lad. His father is a hero who left his job.

“I tell you, his father went down on his knees in front of Sunil Gavaskar, and they both shed tears. Nitish is an incredible cricketer, as it is not easy to score a hundred in Melbourne and front of a big ground and a world-class bowling attack.

“It is one of the best centuries in the history of Test cricket, considering the occasions and the situation India were in,” he added.