Washington Sundar credits Gautam Gambhir, support staff for confidence boost

Melbourne [Australia], December 28 (ANI): Indian cricketer Washington Sundar expressed his gratitude towards head coach Gautam Gambhir and the support staff for their unwavering belief in his abilities in the post-day press conference in Melbourne on Saturday.
"Very happy honestly, and Gauti Bhai [Gambhir] and all the support staff kept believing in me, kept telling me what I'm capable of, especially at this level, in this format. That really means a lot to me, that sort of makes me believe that you know what, I can do special things for the Indian team in this format," Sundar remarked.
Reflecting on his performance, Sundar acknowledged the significance of his contribution and his desire to push further.
"Definitely had a good day, would have been even better if I had gone on to get some more runs and hadn't lost my wicket, but yeah, I think we are in a good position today," he said.
Sundar's crucial fifty came at a pivotal moment for the Indian team, forming a remarkable partnership of 127 runs with Nitish Kumar Reddy. His efforts helped stabilize the innings before he was eventually dismissed by Nathan Lyon.
Speaking about the challenge of playing against Australia on their home turf, Sundar noted, "I think playing against Australia in Australia, you are always going to be put under challenge, no matter what."
Sundar's performance has been instrumental in India's current standing in the match, and his words reflect a sense of confidence and determination fostered by the team's supportive environment.
India posed a strong comeback in the Boxing Day Test, defeating the looming cloud of follow-on and significantlyly reducing the Aussie lead.
By the end of Day 3, India had rallied to 358/9, with Reddy standing unbeaten with Mohammed Siraj. Reddy's unbeaten knock of 105 runs from 176 balls included 10 fours and one six, maintaining a strike rate of 59.66.
Reddy reached his century in 171 balls, becoming the third youngest Indian to score a maiden Test century in Australia, following Sachin Tendulkar and Rishabh Pant. Tendulkar achieved his first century at 18 years and 256 days in 1992, while Pant reached his at 21 years and 92 days in Sydney in 2019. Reddy, at 21 years and 216 days, joins this elite group.
Australian bowlers Pat Cummins and Scott Boland each took three wickets, with Nathan Lyon claiming two.
Due to bad light and rain, early stumps were called, with India set to resume their innings on Sunday with Reddy and Mohammed Siraj (2*) at the crease. (ANI)