Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar made an ultimate gesture for India’s centurion Nitish Kumar Reddy on Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Reddy's knock of 114 off 189, studded with 11 boundaries and a solitary six, was the highest score by an Indian batting at No. 8 or below in a Test in Australia. He also became the youngest centurion in a Boxing Day Test for India.

As Reddy notched up his maiden international hundred at the MCG, that helped India reduced the first innings deficit to 105 runs, Gavaskar gave a standing ovation to the 21-year-old from the commentary box.

A day later, as official broadcasters Star Sports continued to celebrate Nitish Reddy's heroics, the India all-rounder’s father, along with the entire family, met Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri for a chat.

During the meet, Nitish's father, Mutyala, touched Gavaskar's feet, leaving the former Indian captain overwhelmed.

In return, Gavaskar offered him a hug and thanked Mutyala for his persistence and sacrifices so that his son can pursue a career in cricket.

"We know how much he has sacrificed. He has struggled a lot. Because of you, I am tearing up. Because of you, India has got a diamond, Indian cricket has got a diamond," Gavaskar said during the interaction.

In a bid to fulfil his son's dreams of being a cricketer, Mutalya resigned from his job at Hindustan Zinc in 2016. It wasn't an easy road for either him or his son, as it comprised sleepless nights, financial struggles and missed meals. But their dreams turned into reality on Saturday (December 28) as Nitish Reddy celebrated his valiant ton at the MCG while his emotional father watched it from the MCG stands.

"My father left his job for me and there has been a lot of sacrifice behind my story. One day, I saw him crying because of the financial problems we were facing, and I was like, 'this is not how you can be'. Then I got serious. I gave my first jersey to him and saw the happiness in his face," Nitish said in a video posted by the BCCI.