new delhi: australian express Scott Bolland praised on saturday Nitish ReddyThe young Indian showed his batting potential after pumping out an impressive century on day three of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.
Reddy scored a stunning unbeaten 105 to help India post 358 in reply to Australia’s 474 for 9 in the first innings.
Bolan singled out the straight ball played by Reddy for getting his first Test hundred. This shot convinced the Australian pacers of Reddy’s talent.
“Yeah, obviously he played really well. In the midfield, it’s a lower level, but he kind of tried to put pressure on us. And he played really well,” Bolan replied after the day’s game PTI asked.
“He’s batting really well. He’s a young guy from India who’s playing really well and hitting the ball really well. It looks like he’s got almost every shot in the book,” he added.
Bolan first met Reddy during a pink ball match between India and the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra.
The early experience further cemented Boland’s impression of Reddy’s abilities. He kept an eye on Reddy’s progress in subsequent games.
“I played his ‘A’ game, then the Prime Minister’s game, then a couple of Tests. You see he can score all over the pitch.
“He’s obviously a very good player who has performed well in the IPL and performed well in Australian conditions,” he pointed out.
Bolan also commented on the MCG pitch, pointing out that it lacked the expected pace and bounce. He wants the ballpark to provide more help for pitchers.
“Yeah, I thought it was a little difficult at the beginning. I think it’s still a little difficult now. Not as consistent as I would have liked as a bowler, but I think it will be a pretty good Test wicket.”
Talking about Australia’s overall plan against the Indian batsmen, the powerful pacer replied: “After that break, we tried to stretch them a little wider with the ball. We obviously set up a 7-2 field and try to see if they want to flash their hands outside the stumps.
