IND vs AUS: India are gearing up for the fourth test against Australia. This clash will be hosted at the iconic venue, Melbourne Cricket Stadium, starting on December 26, and this will be the showcase Boxing Day Test of the series. The series is level at 1-1 with two more games to play. 
India have been under the pump as they have failed with the bat continuously in the last two games. Australia have made necessary changes to their squad for the remaining games. India might also look to make changes in their playing XI.
The tick is on Nitish Reddy, and some rumors confirm that Washington Sundar will be replacing him. This could also be a strategy looking at the pitch. Here, we will talk about three top reasons why Sundar can be a better option than Reddy for the MCG test. 
<h2>IND vs AUS 4th Test: Three reasons why Washington Sundar is better option than Nitish Kumar Reddy for the MCG test</h2>
1. Off Spin against Left-handers
Nitish Kumar Reddy has three wickets in three games at an average of 41.33. He has been as effective as India would have liked. That's where Washington Sundar can come into play with his off-spin. Travis Head has thrashed India in the last two games with two blistering centuries. That's when his off-spin can come into play. Head and Alex Carey are two in-form batters, and his off-spin can help India contain them.
2. Perfect assistance for Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja played the third game but couldn't take a wicket. But he scored important runs with the bat. Jadeja bowls left-arm spin wicket-to-wicket, and with Sundar, he can make a great pair. Sundar will assist him with his off-spin, which can be very helpful. The off-spinner is known for breaking partnerships, and that's where India can benefit from his inclusion in the IND vs AUS 4th Test.
3. Better All-round options for India
Nitish Reddy is a batting all-rounder who has performed as his traits. He has scored runs down the order but, with the ball, hasn't picked up wickets. That's where Washington Sundar can be very effective. The surface at MCG in recent times has helped spin a bit in the last couple of days. Sundar can be very good. Furthermore, he is also a good batter if the pitch is slow. His all-round ability can be more fruitful for India than Reddy at the MCG.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/what-is-boxing-day-test-check-out-india-s-overall-record-in-boxing-day-test-matches/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">What is Boxing Day Test? Check out India's overall record in Boxing Day Test Matches</a>

The fourth test between India and Australia will start on December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Washington Sundar might make his entry into the playing XI in place of Nitish Kumar Reddy.

3 Solid Reasons Why Washington Sundar is a Better All-Rounder than Nitish Reddy for the MCG Test

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Nitish Kumar Reddy has made history. The third day of the Boxing Day Test between India and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground has ended with the visitors fighting hard to survive in the game. They are still trailing by 116 runs with only one wicket left in the tank.
But it was the 21-year-old Nitish Kumar Reddy, who has made headlines with a Boxing Day century at the MCG. After a number of 30s and 40s earlier in the series, the 21-year-old finally reached his maiden test fifty. But he didn't stop there and stitched a crucial partnership with Washington Sundar, who also played well.
The duo took India past the follow-on score and kept India in the game. Sundar got out after his fifty, and Jasprit Bumrah backed a duck. But it was all determination by Reddy, who succeeded in getting his maiden test century, and what a time and place to get to the triple figure. With his century, he achieved multiple records.
<h2>IND vs AUS 4th Test: Nitish Kumar Reddy made history with his Boxing Day Ton at the MCG</h2>
At the end of Day 3, India are 358/9, with Reddy unbeaten on 105 runs with 10 fours and one six while Mohammed Siraj is on 2 not out. Reddy's hundred came at a crucial time as he came out to bat when India were 221/7. But it was a breakthrough innings for the youngsters. He played some beautiful shots and kept the scoreboard ticking.
When he reached 88 runs, he went past Anil Kumble and registered the highest score by an Indian on Australian soil, batting at no. 8. With his century now, he is the first Indian batter to slam a century batting at No. 8. This is not all. The 21-year-old has hit 8 sixes in the series so far. With this, he has hit the joint-most sixes in a test series on Australian soil.
Michael Vaughan (2002-03 Ashes) and Chris Gayle (2009-10) have hit 8 sixes each in a test series in Australia. Nitish Kumar Reddy still have some innings left, and if he can hit one more six, he will make history. Adding to that, Reddy had an exciting celebration. After reaching fifty, he celebrated in the famous "Pushpa" movie style.
However, after his century, he celebrated in "Bahubali" style, which tells about the great character of the youngster. With one wicket left, India will look to eat up Australia's lead. There are still two days left in the game, and India will look to take time. Sundar also played well for his half-century and added 127 runs for the 8th wicket.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/yashasvi-jaiswal-went-past-virat-kohli-to-join-sachin-tendulkar-in-an-elite-list-of-indians-with-his-glorious-82-at-mcg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yashasvi Jaiswal went past Virat Kohli to join Sachin Tendulkar in an elite list of Indians with his glorious 82 at MCG</a>

Nitish Kumar Reddy slammed his maiden Test ton in the ongoing Boxing Day Test between India and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Nitish Kumar Reddy scripts history; breaks multiple records with his Boxing Day Ton at MCG

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Nitish Kumar Reddy has made history and has given India a hope to save or even win the ongoing Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Stadium. He struck his maiden Test ton which helped India save the follow-on and finish the day at 358/9. He became the 69th Indian batter to score a hundred on away soil.
His innings has kept India in the game, and the visitors have an outside chance. Nitish is unbeaten on 105 runs with 10 fours and one six. India are still trailing by 116 runs, but they are not far away. His century made the whole cricketing world praise him. He definitely silenced his critics who doubted his position in the playing XI.
<h2>IND vs AUS 4th Test: Puma slams Sanjay Manjrekar for his remark on Nitish Kumar Reddy's place in Playing XI</h2>
Nitish Kumar Reddy came out to bat when India lost Rishabh Pant at 191/6. He stretched an important partnership of 127 runs with Washington Sundar (50) for the 8th wicket. From there, Reddy played a matured knock and took risks when required and played cautiously when the pressure was on. With his hundred he became the first Indian batter to score a hundred at no. 8 on Australian soil.
His performance has not just earned him praise but also shut down all the critics. Notably, ahead of the MCG test, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar questioned Reddy's place in the playing XI. He said, "Does Reddy add value to this Indian side? Can we expect 120 runs from a No. 8 batter or, say, a 7-wicket haul like Shardul Thakur? At this stage, his bowling isn’t good enough, and his batting is too early to consider him a batting all-rounder.”
He also pointed out that India need specialist batter in place of Reddy. And what came as a special performance, the 21-year-old went on to slam an incredible century. His hundred has numerous reactions off the field. Famous sportswear brand PUMA Cricket also had a cheeky response to Manjrekar's remark with a tweet featuring Nitish Kumar Reddy in a "finger of the lips" pose.
The post suddenly caught the attention of the fans and spread like the fire in the woods. Reddy made a big difference with his impeccable knock, and India will hope that he can add a few more runs on Day 4 to take India to close to Australia's first-inning score. 
Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/wtc-qualification-scenario-how-can-india-qualify-if-the-boxing-day-test-ends-in-a-draw-/">WTC Qualification Scenario: How can India qualify if the Boxing Day Test ends in a draw?</a>

Nitish Kumar Reddy slammed his maiden Test in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Stadium to help India reach close to Australia's score.

Sportswear brand Puma slams Sanjay Manjrekar on "Nitish to be dropped" remark after Reddy's spectacular Boxing Day Ton 

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Former Indian cricketers in Sunil Gavaskar and Irfan Pathan named their Indian squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. What caught the attention of many was that they didn't name Axar Patel and instead went in with Nitish Kumar Reddy as the all-rounder in the team. 
Both Sunil Gavaskar and Irfan Pathan backed Rohit Sharma to captain the Indian team in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. He will be opening the innings for the team, according to experts, while they pick Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill as two other openers. 
The middle-order batters picked by Sunil Gavaskar and Irfan Pathan in the Indian team for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 are Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul. The trio were the backbone of the team in the ICC World Cup 2023 and the main reason why India reached the final. 
While all the talks have been about who will be keeper for the team in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Sunil Gavaskar and Irfan Pathan picked both Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson. The latter was picked because of the form that he has shown in the T20Is. 
Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy made three all-rounders in the team picked by Gavaskar and Pathan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Axar Patel didn't make the cut, and it was a surprise as of late has been the best performer for the team in the white-ball format. 
According to them, along with Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav will be the second spinner in the team. Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj will be forming the pace department for the team in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. 
<h2>Sunil Gavaskar and Irfan Pathan name their Indian team for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 </h2>
Here's Sunil Gavaskar and Irfan Pathan's Indian team for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 
Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Shubman Gill, Sanju Samson, Mohammed Siraj and Nitish Kumar Reddy
Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/-no-more-skipping-bilateral-series-bcci-set-to-take-action-against-seniors-who-take-unnecessary-rest/">"No more skipping Bilateral series" - BCCI set to take action against seniors who take unnecessary rest</a>

Both Sunil Gavaskar and Irfan Pathan backed Rohit Sharma to captain the Indian team in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Axar Patel OUT, Nitish Reddy IN as Sunil Gavaskar and Irfan Pathan unveil their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 squad

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Team India registered a thumping win over England in the first T20I in England by 7 wickets. Now, both teams will come up against each other in the second game, which is scheduled to be held at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, on Saturday evening at 7 PM IST.
India will feel confident heading into the second game and will be looking to take a 2-0 lead. But just ahead of the second game, India suffered a couple of injury scares. Star opener Abhishek Sharma, who slammed a 20-ball fifty in the first game, suffered a blow during the practice session.
But apart from Abhishek, Indian star all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has sustained an ankle injury during the practice. As a result, the star all-rounder has raised doubts over his inclusion for the remainder of the series. As a result, the Indian management has added Shivam Dube to the squad.
<h2>Shivam Dube is all set to join the Indian squad for the England T20Is - Report</h2>
Shivam Dube was part of the recent match against Jammu and Kashmir in the Ranji Trophy., which they lost. He has now been added to the team for the coming matches against England. He is likely to join the team ahead of the third game in Rajkot on Tuesday.
As per a report by Indian Express, Dube is likely to replace Nitish Kumar Reddy, who has picked up a fresh injury. Reddy was part of the playing XI for the first game. Though his contribution wasn't recorded as he didn't bowl or bat in the game. Unlucky for him, he might not feature in the remaining games.
However, it will open doors for Shivam Dube, who is coming off a horrible game against J&amp;K. Dube was dismissed for a duck in both innings as Mumbai lost the game by six wickets. Dube wasn't the first-choice player for the ongoing England T20Is, but now he might have a chance to grab this opportunity.
Dube was part of India's squad for the T20 World Cup 2024. He scored 133 in the tournament. However, his cameo of 27 runs in the final was one reason that India had a competitive target which proved to be a winning one for them.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/3-player-battles-to-watch-out-for-in-the-second-ind-vs-eng-t20-at-the-ma-chidambaram-stadium-/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3 Player Battles to Watch out for in the second IND vs ENG T20 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium</a>

Shivam Dube replaces Nitish Kumar Reddy  in the Indian squad for England T20Is

Nitish Kumar Reddy has picked up an injury during practice ahead of the second T20I match.

Massive blow for India; Star all-rounder ruled out of England T20Is; Shivam Dube comes in as replacement - Report

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Fast Bowling All-Rounder of Sunrisers Hyderabad, Nitish Kumar Reddy was abosulutely furious with himself after getting dismissed in the ongoing IPL 2025 encounter between the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium of Hyderabad.
The right-handed batter was forced to walk out to bat in the initial phase of the innings after his side lost couple of quick wickets in the form of Abhishek Sharma (6 runs) and Ishan Kishan (0 runs) as LSG pacer Shardul Thakur dismissed both of them in consecutive deliveries and put the home side on the backfoot.
The 21-year-old walked out to bat after the dismissal of Ishan Kishan and he, alongside Travis Head then steadies the ship of SRH with a good partnership of 61 runs before the Southpaw perished after scoring 47 runs off the bowling of Prince Yadav. Head's dismissal meant wicketkeeper batter Heinrich Klassen walked out to bat at number five and added 34 runs with Reddy before he got run out in an unfortunate manner, scoring 26 runs.
With majority of the senior batters back in the pavilion, the responsibility came on the shoulders of young Nitish Kumar Reddy to stay at the crease till the end and help his team put a big score on the board. However, the stay of the 21-year-old in the middle was cut short as LSG leggie Ravi Bishnoi cleam bowled him in the fifteenth over.
Reddy looked very disappointed after being bowled at a crucial time. He was also angry for Klaasen's wicket. In the 12th over, this explosive batsman was run out at the non-striker's end due to his shot. Reddy could not compensate for his wicket either. He was so frustrated with himself that after getting out, he was seen throwing his helmet on the stairs of the pavilion, the video of which is going viral on social media.
Watch the video here - https://x.com/Rasigan_022/status/1905304819591774601
The Hyderabad-based team ended their inning on a good note as they put up a good score of 190-9 on the board in their 20 overs. Young batter Aniket Verma played an amazing cameo of 36 runs and this knock of his gave a much-need boost towards the end to SRH. His knock, which included five sixes, came off just 13 balls. Shardul Thakur, who took 4 for 34, was the best bowler for LSG.
Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/seifert-jimmy-neesham-star-as-new-zealand-secure-a-commanding-win-over-pakistan-in-the-fifth-t20/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Seifert &amp; Jimmy Neesham star as New Zealand secure a commanding win over Pakistan in the fifth T20</a>

Sunrisers vs Super Giant: Nitish Kumar Reddy of Sunrisers Hyderabad was furious with himself after getting out vs LSG | Images: X (Sportskeeda)

Sunrisers vs Super Giant: Nitish Kumar Reddy was furious after his dismissal in SRH's IPL 2025 match against LSG. Coming in early, he built key partnerships but was bowled by Ravi Bishnoi at a crucial stage. His anger was evident as he threw his helmet in frustration. Despite his disappointment, SRH posted 190/9, boosted by Aniket Verma’s quick 36*. Shardul Thakur took 4/34 for LSG.

Sunrisers vs Super Giant: Young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) was visibly frustrated after his dismissal in the IPL 2025 match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Coming in early after SRH lost quick wickets, Reddy steadied the innings with a 61-run partnership with Travis Head (47) and later added 34 runs with Heinrich Klaasen (26). However, Klaasen's run-out and Reddy's own dismissal—cleaned bowled by Ravi Bishnoi in the 15th over—left him furious. Reddy, who was key to SRH's middle order, angrily threw his helmet upon returning to the pavilion, a moment that went viral. Despite his disappointment, SRH posted 190/9, thanks to a fiery 13-ball 36* from Aniket Verma. Shardul Thakur (4/34) was LSG's standout bowler.

Watch: Nitish Kumar Reddy of SRH throws his helmet in anger after Ravi Bishnoi dismisses him

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is all set to release the central contract list soon. As per the reports in Times of India, it is learned that a meeting will be taking place on 29th March between Secretary Devajit Saikia, Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar. 
Following the meeting, BCCI will be announcing the central contract list for the next year. As per the reports, it is learned that Axar Patel, who currently has a Grade B contract, is all set to be promoted to Grade A, thanks to his heroics for India for the last year. 
Axar Patel played a major role in India winning the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Not only this, he was also appointed as the vice-captain of the team in the T20I format and hence BCCI believes that he deserves a promotion. 
Apart from Axar Patel, BCCI is also set to include mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy in the annual contract list. The spinner has been a regular member of the team in the T20I format and also played a vital role for India in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. 
<h2>Abhishek Sharma and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy all set to get contracts</h2>
The central contract list will also see young batter Abhishek Sharma and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy getting added to the list. Sharma has put massive strides forward in International Cricket, while Reddy has locked his place in the Test team as he played a massive role for India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. 
The reports also claimed that Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah are all set to retain their A+ contracts. Shreyas Iyer will be added back to the top category after he was axed from the contracts last year following his decision to miss the domestic games. 
Also, there will be discussions related to Ishan Kishan as well. He, along with Iyer, was removed, but he has been putting in hard yards in domestic cricket. He also slammed a ton in IPL, and it remains to be seen if he gets the contract or not.
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Axar Patel , Varun Chakravarthy, Abhishek Sharma {PC:X}

Axar Patel played a major role in India winning the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

As per the reports, it is learned that Axar Patel, who currently has a Grade B contract, is all set to be promoted to Grade A, thanks to his heroics for India for the last year. 

Axar Patel to top grade, Varun Chakravarthy, Abhishek Sharma set to be included as BCCI's contract details get leaked

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The ICC WTC Final 2023-25 will be held at Lord's from June 11-15, 2025, featuring South Africa vs Australia.

ICC WTC Final 2023-25 Date OUT! Check WTC Final Schedule, Venue, Timing and More in One Click

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IPL 2025 Resumption: BCCI Plans to Host Remaining Matches in Bengaluru, Chennai & Hyderabad as Overseas Players Start Leaving

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A source close to the developments confirmed that Virat Kohli has made up his mind to move away from Test cricket.

Virat Kohli decides to move away from Test cricket , BCCI on knees to convince batter to stay

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Yashasvi Jaiswal recently hogged the headlines when he mentioned that he will be playing for Goa in domestic cricket.

Yashasvi Jaiswal takes a U-turn, shamelessly requests MCA to not consider his Goa shift

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The Tata IPL 2025 was suspended indefinitely due to rising India-Pakistan tensions after the DC vs. PBKS match in Dharamsala was canceled over air raid alerts near Pathankot. The BCCI deemed it unsafe to continue, scrapping the tournament originally set to end on May 25. Players, staff, and officials were evacuated via a special charter train for safety.

nitish reddy