Quadrangular series : India A, India B, South Africa A & Australia A (2018)

[MenInG]

Hanuma Vihari scored an unbeaten century as India ‘A’ bounced back from a disjointed start on Day One of the second unofficial Test against South Africa ‘A’ in Bengaluru on Friday. The right-hander entered the fray at number three with his side in trouble, before going on to guide the hosts to 322/4 at the end of the day’s play.

It was Vihari’s 15th First-Class hundred, following a half-century in the first Test as the top returned undefeated at stumps on 138 off 273 balls (13 fours).

Earlier in the day, the visitors got the match off to a good start after captain Khaya Zondo asked India to bat first. Duanne Olivier (1/54) got them started, making immediate inroads by removing Mayank Agarwal without scoring in the first over. Anrich Nortje (1/56) capitalized on their positive start with the wicket of Prithvi Shaw (16), who edged the ball to wicket-keeper Rudi Second to leave the hosts wobbling on 18/2.

It was then up to the Indian captain, Shreyas Iyer and Vihari to help steady the ship for the home side. The pair went on to add 62 runs for the third wicket, Iyer contributing a valuable 39 off 59 balls (6 fours) before becoming Senuran Muthusamy’s (1/51) first wicket of the match. The breakthrough looked to have handed the advantage over to the visitors before Ankit Bawne and Vihari’s crucial fourth-wicket stand of 177 helped the home side gain control of the contest.

Aptly supported by Bawne, who brought up his 29th fifty in during the partnership, Vihari looked dominant at the crease. The pair led India to 257/3 before their stronghold was eventually broken by Dane Piedt (1/46), the spinner instigating a stumping to dismiss Bawne for 80 off 146 balls (10 fours, 1 six).

Vihari and new man in, Srikar Bharat (30*) combined for another frustrating partnership for South Africa ‘A’. The duo added a further 65 runs to the total as they saw the hosts to a commanding position on 322/4 at the close of play.

SA A squad (to play in four-day series against India A): Khaya Zondo (Hollywoodbets Dolphins, capt), Sarel Erwee (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Zubayr Hamza (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras), Beuran Hendricks (bizhub Highveld Lions), Pieter Malan (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras), Senuran Muthusamy (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Mthiwekhaya Nabe (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras), Anrich Nortje (Warriors), Duanne Olivier (VKB Knights), Dane Piedt (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras), Dwaine Pretorius (bizhub Highveld Lions), Rudi Second (VKB Knights), Rassie van der Dussen (bizhub Highveld Lions), Malusi Siboto (bizhub Highveld Lions), Shaun von Berg (Multiply Titans).


SA A Tour to India Itinerary 2018



Four-Day Test Series

August 10-13: 2nd four-day Test match v India A, Bengaluru

 

[MenInG]

A superb six-wicket haul by Duanne Olivier and a commanding half-century from Zubayr Hamza has helped to even the contest on Day Two of the second unofficial Test between India ‘A’ and South Africa ‘A’ in Bengaluru on Saturday.

A rampant Olivier (6/63) took five wickets for just nine runs in the morning session as the hosts collapsed to 345 before Hamza’s commanding 125-ball 93 (15 fours) helped the tourists to 219/3 at the close of play, trailing by 126 runs in the first innings.

At the start of the day’s action, it was South Africa who got off to another brilliant start. The pair of Hanuma Vihari and Srikar Bharat could only add another 15 runs to their overnight score of 322/4 before Olivier clean bowled the latter for 34 (69 balls, 4 fours). It was soon six down for the home side, as Oliver struck late in the same over to removing Jayant Yadav for one. Anrich Nortje (2/69) then joined the party, claiming the prized wicket of Vihari for a well-played 148 (off 295 balls, 14 fours) leaving India on 340/7.

It didn’t take long for the visitors to wrap up the innings. Olivier’s outstanding spell continued, the right-armer removing Yuzvendra Chahal (1), Mohammed Siraj (4) and Ankit Rajpoot (0) for an added five runs.

South Africa went about chasing down the hosts’ lead in a controlled manner despite the early loss of Pieter Malan for a duck to Siraj (1/51) off the first ball of their innings. Hamza and opener Sarel Erwee combined for a 154-run, second-wicket stand. The partnership provided the ideal platform for the visitors as Erwee and Hamza brought up their 25th and 20th First-Class fifties respectively.

The breakthrough was eventually provided in the 37th over when leg-spinner Chahal (2/17) dismissed Hamza just seven runs short of what would have been a well-deserved century. The bowler proved the decisive factor once again with Erwee the next man to fall, trapped LBW for 58 (118 balls, 7 fours, 2 sixes).

With both set batsmen back in the changeroom, it was up to Rassie van der Dussen (18*) and Rudi Second (35*) to begin the rebuilding process for the visitors, as the pair notched up a 56-run partnership to see their side to 219/3 at stumps.

SA A squad (to play in four-day series against India A): Khaya Zondo (Hollywoodbets Dolphins, capt), Sarel Erwee (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Zubayr Hamza (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras), Beuran Hendricks (bizhub Highveld Lions), Pieter Malan (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras), Senuran Muthusamy (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Mthiwekhaya Nabe (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras), Anrich Nortje (Warriors), Duanne Olivier (VKB Knights), Dane Piedt (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras), Dwaine Pretorius (bizhub Highveld Lions), Rudi Second (VKB Knights), Rassie van der Dussen (bizhub Highveld Lions), Malusi Siboto (bizhub Highveld Lions), Shaun von Berg (Multiply Titans).


SA A Tour to India Itinerary 2018
Four-Day Test Series
August 10-13: 2nd four-day Test match v India A, Bengaluru

 

[MenInG]

After a rain-affected third day limited the action to less than 33 overs, the second unofficial Test between India ‘A’ and South Africa ‘A’ ended in a draw in Bengaluru on Monday, with the hosts clinching the two-match series one-nil. Despite seven wickets falling on the final day, the two sides had to settle for the outcome after the hosts were left stranded on 181/4 after 51 overs in their second innings.

Mohammed Siraj (4/72) and Ankit Rajpoot (3/52) combined to wrap up the tourists’ first innings within the opening six overs of the day – Senuran Muthusamy returning an unbeaten 35 as South Africa were bowled out on 319. India took a 26-run lead into the second innings, with captain Shreyas Iyer (65) and Ankit Bawne (64*) recording a 92-run partnership before play was called.


With a slender lead in place and time running out in the match, India did not get their second innings off to the best start. Duanne Olivier (2/24), who was in superb form with the ball in the first innings, struck early getting rid of Prithvi Shaw (4) before the fast bowler further compounded the hosts’ woes by trapping Hanuma Vihari LBW for a duck, reducing them to 14/2 after 4.2 overs.

Shreyas Iyer joined Mayank Agarwal in the middle as the pair began to rebuild the innings, adding 40 runs for the third wicket before the latter was clean bowled by Muthusamy (2/45) for 28 (44 deliveries, 5 fours). Ankit Bawne then joined the set Iyer and together, reached their half-centuries. The home captain (Iyer) hit a 103-ball 65 before he succumbed to Muthusamy while Bawne returned not out at the end of the day’s play on 64 off 100 balls (9 fours) with Srikar Bharat (18*) at the other end.


Olivier proved to be South Africa’s talisman in the match, finishing with figures of 8/87 and four wickets behind Siraj, the series leading wicket-taker. While wicket-keeper/batsman Rudi Second ended as the tourist’s top run-scorer with 235 runs, including two fifties and a high score of 94 in the first Test.

SA A squad (to play in four-day series against India A): Khaya Zondo (Hollywoodbets Dolphins, capt), Sarel Erwee (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Zubayr Hamza (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras), Beuran Hendricks (bizhub Highveld Lions), Pieter Malan (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras), Senuran Muthusamy (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Mthiwekhaya Nabe (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras), Anrich Nortje (Warriors), Duanne Olivier (VKB Knights), Dane Piedt (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras), Dwaine Pretorius (bizhub Highveld Lions), Rudi Second (VKB Knights), Rassie van der Dussen (bizhub Highveld Lions), Malusi Siboto (bizhub Highveld Lions), Shaun von Berg (Multiply Titans).

 

[Kroll]

Pandey bats India B to victory over SA ‘A’ in rain-affected clash

Thursday, 23 August 2018

India B’s Manish Pandey hit an unbeaten 95 runs to lead his side to a comfortable, 30-run win over South Africa A in a rain affected match in Bengaluru on Thursday.

It was the first match that the South Africans had played and completed after the Quadrangular series which also includes India A and Australia A had to be moved from Vijayawada to Bengaluru after ceaseless rain saw four matches rained out without a ball being bowled.

In today’s fixture, the visitors posted 231 runs on the board in 47.3 overs after they were put in to bat first. Senuran Muthusamy and Farhaan Behardien top scored with 55 and 43 respectively while also sharing a 104-run partnership for the fifth wicket after a top order collapse saw their side reduced to 57/4 in the first 13 overs. Other contributions in their 20s came from opener Gihahn Cloete (25) and tail-enders Malusi Siboto (26) and Dane Paterson (25).

India B’s Prasidh Krishna (4/49) and Shreyas Gopal (3/42) took seven wickets between them as they ploughed their way through the South African line-up.

Rain disrupted the match and saw it reduced to a 45-over affair with the hosts needing 220 to win.

Their reply did not get off to the most solid start either, losing opening batsman Mayak Agarwal and number three Deepak Hooda for a respective seven and four runs, both at the hands of Paterson (2/33) in the sixth over. Pandey entered the fray and spearheaded an 88-run, fourth-wicket stand with the other opener Shubman Gill (42) which set their side back on track. The rain came again, interrupting their progress as Pandey sat through the losses of Gill, Ishan Kishan (24) and Kedar Jadhav (23), but it was a comfortable win for the homeside in the end.

South Africa ‘A’s next fixture is against their Australian counterpart on 25 August at 05:30 SAST.

 

[MP2011]

Manish Pandey is a waste of space, doesn't have power game required at international level, is an excellent fielder though. Should keep on playing in domestic games, that's where he belongs. However his slot in "A" team could've been better utilized by someone more deserving.

 

[MenInG]

Australia ‘A’ captain Travis Head produced an all-round performance to help his side to a 32-run victory over South Africa ‘A’ despite a century from his counterpart, Khaya Zondo in the One-Day Quadrangular Series in Bengaluru on Saturday.

Head’s 117-ball 110 helped his team to a substantial total of 322/5 at the end of their allotted overs before picking up 2/25 with the ball. The South African skipper played an aggressive knock, smashing 117 runs from 104 deliveries (4 fours, 7 sixes) as he looked well on the way to leading his side to victory at one stage. Wickets falling at regular intervals however, hindered their chase and saw them eventually bowled out for 290, giving Australia victory with eight balls to spare.

Earlier in the day, Head won the toss and elected to bat first at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, making a solid start in spite of the early run out of Usman Khawaja for 10. D’Arcy Short and his captain recorded an 83 run-partnership for the second wicket before the former found himself dismissed on 49 (56 balls, 5 fours, 1 six), trapped LBW by Shaun von Berg (1/54). Head soldiered on, partnering up with Marnus Labuschagne for a 136-run, third-wicket stand, the latter bringing up his eighth List A fifty before also going down LBW to Sisanda Magala for 65.

Matt Renshaw, who hit a quickfire and unbeaten 42 (29 balls, 6 fours) provided the ideal partner for his skipper, as he brought up an impressive sixth List A century. Head was eventually bowled out by Beuran Hendricks (1/57) in the 47th over, his side having edged past the 300-run mark before Ashton Agar added 17 runs off just four deliveries in the last over to set South Africa the daunting target.

Magala was the pick of the South African bowlers with his 2/59 with Hendricks and Von Berg chipping in with one wicket each.

In reply, Zondo’s men got off to an ideal start thanks to an 89-run opening stand between Gihahn Cloete and Sarel Erwee (37) before Head disturbed them with the latter’s wicket in the 13th over. He struck again two overs later, getting rid of Cloete just after he reached his 13th List A half-century (49 balls).

With South Africa two wickets down and over 200 runs still needed for victory, the batsmen struggled to kick on as wickets fell with regular occurrence. Rudi Second (11) and Robbie Frylinck were the only other batsmen to reach double figures thereafter.

Mitchell Swepson (3/40) was the chief-destroyer, picking up three crucial wickets in the middle-order, dismissing Farhaan Behardien (4), Senuran Muthusamy (1) and Dwaine Pretorius for a duck. With wickets falling around him, Zondo continued to impress and looked to have found a worthy partner in Frylinck. The pair recorded 83 runs for the eighth wicket, as the South African skipper reached a well-played hundred – his third in List A cricket – before Joel Paris made the breakthrough, getting rid of Frylinck for 30 (41 balls, 1 four, 1 six).

That wicket proved to be the final straw for South Africa. They lost the final two wickets with Zondo the last man to go – run out by Short.

South Africa ‘A’ are now bottom of the log with four points. India ‘B’ hold pole position with 12, followed by India ‘A’ with nine points and Australia ‘A’ are in third place with eight points.

 

[MenInG]

Wildermuth, Khawaja lead Australia A to incredible win
An incredible final-over onslaught from Jack Wildermuth has led Australia A to victory against India B at Alur, and a place in the quad series final.

Requiring 19 from the final over, Wildermuth faced all six balls, and with five needed to win off the last ball he smashed a six over mid-wicket to win the game.

The Queensland all-rounder finished unbeaten on 62 off just 42 balls, as player of the match Usman Khawaja saw the innings through from start to finish with a brilliant century (101 not out off 93).

It will now be a rematch in the final at M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday, with Australia A to face India B.

In a rain-affected match, Australia A reached 4-132 from 24.2 overs before the covers came on, in pursuit of India B’s 6-276 from their 50 overs.

Travis Head won the toss and elected to bowl, with Michael Neser (3-47 off nine) the pick of the Australian bowlers as India B captain Manish Pandey (117 not out) reached three figures.

Australia A’s target was revised to 247 from 40 overs after the rain break, a further 115 runs from 15.4 overs to win.

Alex Carey (23) made an impact alongside Khawaja at the top of the order in a 77-run opening partnership, while Marnus Labuschagne (13) and Ashton Agar (15) also made starts either side of the rain break.

But it was Wildermuth and Khawaja who held their nerve in thrilling finish, as the run rate crept up to 11 an over with six overs to go, and then 28 runs needed off the last two overs.

The first two balls of the final over went for two runs each, followed by a four and another two.

With nine needed off the final two balls, Wildermuth found the boundary on both occasions - a four followed by a maximum with Australia A finishing their 40 overs at 5-248 to win by five wickets.

 

[the_outsider]

Manish Pandey is a waste of space, doesn't have power game required at international level, is an excellent fielder though. Should keep on playing in domestic games, that's where he belongs. However his slot in "A" team could've been better utilized by someone more deserving.

He is in the India B squad.

It's true that Pandey isn't a power player but there are many batsmen playing today who don't have power game but do very well.

Root
Williamson
Smith
Amla
Chandimal
Babar


Pandey has only himself to blame for not finding a place in the Indian LOI squad. But with Iyer looking very out of form, Pandey might get another opportunity.

KL will obviously be the first choice for the 4th position. And rightfully so. Pandey makes for a good backup no 4, though.

 

[ipl_fan]

Super happy that BCCI makes sure A team players are always in the mix along with the U19 guys

 

[cricketindiafan]

No going back to Manish Pandeys and Kedar Jadhavs please. In Raina and DK, we already have two TTFs in ODI team. Cannot afford another couple of them. Give Pant a go and make Dhoni bat at 4 is the most readonable selection, if Dhoni's big ego allows that.

Also, right now we have 5 India A/B/Red/Blue/Green teams playing vs A teams and in Duleep trophy. That is a total of 75 players. Not sure if thats a great idea. Should have waited for A series to get over to ensure our main fringe players competed in Duleep Trophy. Performances would have counted for a lot more in that case with a higher competition level.

 

[MP2011]

He is in the India B squad.

It's true that Pandey isn't a power player but there are many batsmen playing today who don't have power game but do very well.

Root
Williamson
Smith
Amla
Chandimal
Babar


Pandey has only himself to blame for not finding a place in the Indian LOI squad. But with Iyer looking very out of form, Pandey might get another opportunity.

KL will obviously be the first choice for the 4th position. And rightfully so. Pandey makes for a good backup no 4, though.

I think Iyer too is quite overrated. Will have to fast track guys like Gill, Mayank etc.

 

[MP2011]

He is in the India B squad.

It's true that Pandey isn't a power player but there are many batsmen playing today who don't have power game but do very well.

Root
Williamson
Smith
Amla
Chandimal
Babar

Don't think Manish Pandey is fit to be mentioned in same bracket as Amla, Williamson, Smith, Root, Babar or even Chandimal, lack of power or any criteria.

As you said, he has only himself to blame for this. He got so many chances to cement himself in Indian team but couldn't.

 

[the_outsider]

Don't think Manish Pandey is fit to be mentioned in same bracket as Amla, Williamson, Smith, Root, Babar or even Chandimal, lack of power or any criteria.

Agreed but I brought these batsmen up only to make a case that Pandey's failure is not due to his lack of power game.

As you said, he has only himself to blame for this. He got so many chances to cement himself in Indian team but couldn't.

Yes, it's very unfortunate. I had high hopes from him. His batting isn't very pretty to look at but his match winning hundred in Australia had really impressed me.

Unfortunately it's been all downhill since then.

Still, it's good to see him back to scoring big runs - even if it is for India A/B. With the WC approaching fast, the more in-form players we have in the country, the better.

 

[MP2011]

Agreed but I brought these batsmen up only to make a case that Pandey's failure is not due to his lack of power game.

Agreed. But they all have something which Pandey is so severely lacking, mental fortitude.

 

[the_outsider]

I think Iyer too is quite overrated. Will have to fast track guys like Gill, Mayank etc.

Ex players speak very highly of him. And to be fair to Iyer, he has done quite well in the limited opportunities that he has been given.

He's failed in T20Is but in ODIs his numbers are very good for a youngster.

Gill still has a lot of time left in his career so it's not necessary to fast-track him. But Mayank Agarwal is already 27 looks to be in peak form right now. If India doesn't pick him at this stage, there will be no point in selecting him later. So I am hoping he gets picked for the Asia Cup.

 

[MP2011]

My opinion on Gill is that India needs middle order bats asap and he could be one of them. Of course if India keeps on picking TTFs like Dhoni and Raina and for heaven's sake DK, then he surely doesn't stand a chance.

As for Mayank, my opinion on him we have to have him open for India in Asia cup. Any further delay won't do him or us any good.

 

[the_outsider]

My opinion on Gill is that India needs middle order bats asap and he could be one of them. Of course if India keeps on picking TTFs like Dhoni and Raina and for heaven's sake DK, then he surely doesn't stand a chance.

As for Mayank, my opinion on him we have to have him open for India in Asia cup. Any further delay won't do him or us any good.

For better or worse, Dhoni will be playing the WC. That much we can be sure of.

Depending on how well Pant does in the next 2 tests, even DK will probably not find a place in the WC squad.

I will also be very surprised if Raina ever plays ODIs for India again. He's still a good pick for T20s though.

But I highly doubt India will play Gill before 2019. They already have tested players in KLR and Iyer for no 4. So I don't think they will spend more time on that.

We might now see Krunal, Jadeja and Axar getting a few chances to fill that no 7 batsman & 5th bolwer's slot.

 

[MP2011]

India has won the final against Aus 'A', courtesy Mayank, Pandey and Gill. Considering Pandey's stellar form in this tourney, I fear he'll be in India's Asia cup team. Not so sure about Mayank. Gill will definitely not be part of that squad.

 

[MP2011]

Pandey was not dismissed even once during the tournament.

 

[cricketindiafan]

Based on what we have seen with Raina, DK, Parthiv etc recently, recycling the TTFs, irrespective of their good form, does not work in international cricket. Pandey is a classical TTF but guess he's been so strong with the India A side that he will have to be picked now and Gill will have to wait.

Look at his record recently
Manish Pandey in the last three 'A' team tournaments he played:

In India, 2018 - 306 in 4 inns (Leading run-getter)
In South Africa, 2017 - 307 in 5 inns (Leading run-getter)
In Australia, 2016 - 359 in 7 inns (Leading run-getter)

Won all the three as captain

 

[Oligochaetes]

The top 3 are set, Pandya and MSD at 6 & 7 are immovable. India would ideally like a batter who can bowl at No.4. Therefore people like Raina and Jadhav will keep coming back again and again.

Batters who dont rotate their arm like Pandey Raidu etc have less scope

 

[Kohli The King of Chase]

Rohit
Shikhar
Kohli *
Rahul
Dhoni +
Pandey
Pandya

 

[the_outsider]

India has won the final against Aus 'A', courtesy Mayank, Pandey and Gill. Considering Pandey's stellar form in this tourney, I fear he'll be in India's Asia cup team. Not so sure about Mayank. Gill will definitely not be part of that squad.

Since Dhawan and KL look like they will be both playing 10 out of 11 matches on the Eng tour, we might just see Rohit as captain and opening with Mayank.

It's unlikely but there's a chance India might play a few games with a line up that looks like this:

Sharma (c)
Shaw
Mayank/Iyer
Pandey
Dhoni (c)
Krunal
.
.
.

But more likely is that either one of Dhawan and KL Rahul will be in the squad.

So that means only 3 out of Mayank, Iyer, Pandey and Shaw will get selected.

It will be interesting to see who BCCI picks.

 

[troodon]

Pandey is still useless. No matter how many runs he scores for India A or B or C, he will fail at highest level.

The only thing good about Pandey is that he is a terrific fielder. That’s about it.

 

[the_outsider]

Pandey is still useless. No matter how many runs he scores for India A or B or C, he will fail at highest level.

The only thing good about Pandey is that he is a terrific fielder. That’s about it.

It's true that Pandey has failed too many times. But his century in Australia showed that he can play at this level.

He needs to improve quite a bit and become more consistent to survive at the highest level. But he has the basics.

Plus, there's no harm giving him a second chance. Even Rohit Sharam needed two tries at international cricket to get where he is today and he is far more talented than Manish Pandey.

 

[rexbamezai]

Pandey deserves another opportunity in my opinion. I don't think he has been given enough chances to be called a TTF. He hasn't been dismissed even once in this tournament! And he's got his runs at a good strike-rate as well.

 

[Abdullah719]

Australia A defeated in quadrangular series final

Australia A has been defeated by India B by nine wickets in the one-day quadrangular series final at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The Australians lost the toss and were sent in to bat first.

D'Arcy Short (72 off 77) and Alex Carey (53 off 56) were the mainstays of the batting innings, while Usman Khawaja (23), Ashton Agar (20) and Marnus Labuschagne (17) all made starts.

However, after being 4-192, Australia A lost their last six wickets for 33 runs to be dismissed for 225 in the 48th over.

Spinners Shreyas Gopal (3-50) and Deepak Hooda (2-41) claimed multiple wickets, as did fast bowlers Navdeep Saini (2-33) and Siddarth Kaul (2-24).

In reply, Mayank Agarwal (69), Shubman Gill (66 not out) and Manish Pandey (73 not out) all posted fifties as India B reached the target one wicket down in the 37th over.

Agar claimed Australia's only wicket.

Australia A's first four day match - against India A - will be at the same venue commencing on 2 September.

 

[MP2011]

It's true that Pandey has failed too many times. But his century in Australia showed that he can play at this level.

Can't encash that forever. Has already got much more chances than he deserved. I still cringe at his run-a-ball 20-30 odds in T20s!

 

[the_outsider]

Can't encash that forever. Has already got much more chances than he deserved. I still cringe at his run-a-ball 20-30 odds in T20s!

Not just relying on that century in Australia. If he wasn't doing so well on A tours then I wouldn't be supporting his inclusion in the squad.

But he has been the highest scorer on 3 consecutive tours now.

That's why I still have some faith in him. But this may very well be his last opportunity to make a place in the national side.

 

[MenInG]

Captain Shreyas Iyer and Ambati Rayudu’s crucial half-centuries and Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s three wickets helped India ‘A’ claim an emphatic 124-run victory over South Africa ‘A’ in the Quadrangular Series third place play-off in Bengaluru on Wednesday. The defeat marks the end of the ‘A’ series tour for South Africa following their two-match unofficial Test series earlier this month.

Iyer (67 off 70 balls) and Rayudu (66 off 88) combined for a vital 130-run, third-wicket stand after they found themselves two wickets down for 41 runs in the 14th over. A handful of smaller, but no less important contributions from Nitish Rana (30), Sanju Samson (26), Krunal Pandya (24) and Ravikumar Samarth (23) saw the hosts post a substantial 275/7 at the end of their allotted overs. Beuran Hendricks was the pick of the bowlers with 3/39 with Robbie Frylinck chipping in with 2/35.

It was a disappointing batting display from the visiting side after their exciting four-wicket win against the same side on Monday. This time around, no half-centuries were reached as Suneran Muthusamy top scored with 40 runs from 51 deliveries. Farhaan Behardien and Pieter Malan added 38 and 30 runs respectively, but it was downhill from there as three ducks and three scores of less than 10 runs added to the tourists’ frustrations.

Kumar on an exciting return from injury led the attack picking up 3/33 and was backed up well by Manyak Markande (2/30) and Deepak Chahar (2/31) during the South African reply, ensuring the visitors were restricted to 151 with a little under 13 overs to spare.

Khaya Zondo ended the Quadrangular Series as South African’s leading run-scorer with 132 at an average of 33.00 with Dane Paterson the leading wicket taker seven scalps including his career-best List A figures of 5/19 in the last round-robin clash against the same opponents.

 

[Varun]

India-A bolstered by Kuldeep Yadav

The likes of Mayank Agarwal, Shreyas Iyer and Mohammed Siraj will have to set aside the disappointment of not making it to the Asia Cup squad and focus on the first unofficial Test against Australia-A which commences here on Sunday.

Skipper Shreyas and his India-A players can draw hope from the fact that West Indies arrives in India next month for a tour comprising of two Tests, five ODIs and three T20Is. A good showing here could earn an international call-up for the home series.

The India-A squad is bolstered by the inclusion of chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav.

The national selectors believe that Kuldeep will benefit from this First Class experience ahead of the Asia Cup and the West Indies series.

Shubman set for debut
Punjab batsman Shubman Gill, 19, is set to make his India-A four-day debut. Pacer Rajneesh Gurbani, who impressed for India Red in the Duleep Trophy, is back with the India-A side.

For Australia-A, this two-match series serves as a chance to catch the national selectors’ attention ahead of the Pakistan Test series in the UAE.

Australia-A captain Mitchell Marsh is in line to get a berth for that tour, and he is using this visit to get match-fit.

An ankle injury in March has kept him out of action, but Marsh explained that he has made a full recovery.

Southpaw Matt Renshaw, who competed in the Quadrangular tournament, misses this outing due to a hamstring strain.

The squads:

India-A: Shreyas Iyer (Capt.), Mayank Agarwal, R. Samarth, A. Easwaran, Ankit Bawne, Shubman Gill, K.S. Bharat (wk), Shahbaz Nadeem, Kuldeep Yadav, K. Gowtham, Rajneesh Gurbani, Navdeep Saini, Ankit Rajpoot and Mohammed Siraj.

Australia-A: Mitchell Marsh (Capt.), Alex Carey (wk), Ashton Agar, Brendan Doggett, Peter Handscomb, Travis Head, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Michael Neser, Joel Paris, Kurtis Patterson, Mitch Swepson and Chris Tremain.

https://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/india-a-bolstered-by-kuldeep-yadav/article24845041.ece

 

[Zeeraq]

India A vs Australia A: Eight for Mohammed Siraj, 127 for Usman Khawaja

A career-best haul of 8/59 for India A pace bowler Mohammed Siraj has bowled out Australia A for 243 on day one of the first unofficial Test in Bengaluru. The visitors would not have gotten anywhere near that total without Usman Khawaja who opened the innings and was last out for 127 off 228 balls.

By stumps, the in-form Mayank Agarwal (31*) and Ravikumar Samarth (10*) saw India A to 41 without loss.

Khawaja batted on a different level than his Australia A team-mates. With Test hopeful Kurtis Patterson (31) he put on 78 in 25.2 overs before Siraj triggered triggered a dramatic collapse with four wickets in one spell, including those of Test players Peter Hanscomb and Mitchell Marsh for ducks.

Siraj bowled Patterson, had Travis Head caught behind for 4 and then removed both Hanscomb and Marsh lbw without scoring.

Khawaja, using all his Test experience, buckled down and ground his way to a century in the company of Narnus Labuschagne to take Australia A to 191/4 by tea. Labuschagne offered support with 60 off 105 to help Khawaja revive the innings from 90/4 to 204/5 before he was bowled by Siraj.

Kuldeep Yadav then removed Alex Carey, and in one over Siraj trapped Michael Neser and Chris Tremain for his sixth and seventh scalps. A second to Kuldeep made it 215/9, meaning that Australia A had lost five wickets for 11 runs. In the presence of the No 11 Khawaja began to hit out and got to 127 before he was last out, giving Siraj his eighth wicket.

The four-day matches are being viewed as a selection trial for Australia’s Test tour of the UAE to play Pakistan in October, and with the squad to be named after the tour, there are several Test aspirants hoping to impress the selectors.

https://www.cricketcountry.com/news...r-mohammed-siraj-127-for-usman-khawaja-741546

 

[Saj]

Really good idea this and benefits up and coming players, especially for India who have an A and B team participating.

PCB need to think about such tournaments.

 

[cricketjoshila]

On what basis Shardul Thakur Kedar Jadhav Dinesh Karthik get to play ahead of Siraj or Mayank or Iyer or Pant only the politics of Bcci knows.
[MENTION=142162]Napa[/MENTION]
[MENTION=136571]akki[/MENTION]
[MENTION=141520]troodon[/MENTION]
[MENTION=113824]Nikhil_cric[/MENTION]
[MENTION=139108]Sachin136[/MENTION]
[MENTION=132605]battler[/MENTION]

 

[Nikhil_cric]

On what basis Shardul Thakur Kedar Jadhav Dinesh Karthik get to play ahead of Siraj or Mayank or Iyer or Pant only the politics of Bcci knows.

[MENTION=142162]Napa[/MENTION]
[MENTION=136571]akki[/MENTION]
[MENTION=141520]troodon[/MENTION]
[MENTION=113824]Nikhil_cric[/MENTION]
[MENTION=139108]Sachin136[/MENTION]
[MENTION=132605]battler[/MENTION]

It's disgusting. But we all know pant is not gonna get a run with MSD pulling the strings. And looking at the way Siraj is bowling, he has to debut in tests as well against Windies in the home season.

 

[the_outsider]

On what basis Shardul Thakur Kedar Jadhav Dinesh Karthik get to play ahead of Siraj or Mayank or Iyer or Pant only the politics of Bcci knows.

[MENTION=142162]Napa[/MENTION]
[MENTION=136571]akki[/MENTION]
[MENTION=141520]troodon[/MENTION]
[MENTION=113824]Nikhil_cric[/MENTION]
[MENTION=139108]Sachin136[/MENTION]
[MENTION=132605]battler[/MENTION]

Iyer has done well for India but he's been poor for India A in the last 3 series so maybe the selection committee is looking for backups.

Iyer will most probably be in the WC squad though, unless Manish Pandey does something remarkable this time round.

I think they will give Siraj his test cap against WI. He's been unbelievably good. Bowling average of 18! That's unheard of for an Indian fast bowler.

No idea why they keep ignoring Mayank Agarwal though. Must be very demoralising for the guy.

Also no idea why they chose DK again. What is the point of having a 34-year-old backup to a 37-year-old wicketkeeper?? At least if they pick Pant, he'll get some experience of the WC, even if he doesn't get a game.

Neither Dhoni nor DK will be there for the next WC.

Very poor succession planning by BCCI.

 

[Varun]

Khawaja hundred saves Australia A

Usman Khawaja struck a timely century on day one of Australia A's four-day match against India A in Bangalore where seam dominated spin. Khawaja's 127 was the backbone of Australia A's total of 243, while Queensland teammate Marnus Labuschagne posted 60 and NSW's Kurtis Patterson 31. India A seamer Mohammed Siraj was the chief destroyer for the hosts, picking up 8-59 from 19.3 overs including the first five Australian wickets to fall. With a dozen overs left to play, Australia A's bowlers could not find a breakthrough as India A's openers safely negotiated the tricky period to be 0-41 at stumps.

Khawaja's innings, compiled from 228 balls and featured 20 boundaries, was the left-hander's maiden first-class century in India and will likely secure his place in Australia's first Test XI against Pakistan in the UAE next month. Khawaja's poor Test record in Asia – an average of 14.62 in nine innings – and infrequent selection in spinning conditions may have counted against him, but Sunday's score will have undoubtedly please the national selectors, who are set to name the Pakistan Test series squad at the conclusion of the series. While Khawaja took advantage of his first innings of the two-match series, Australia A's middle order all missed out, combining for just four runs between Travis Head at first-drop and No.5 Mitch Marsh, who as captain won the toss and elected to bat. Head was caught behind for four, Peter Handscomb trapped lbw first ball to bring the first session to a close before Marsh fell in the same fashion for a four-ball duck. That's when Khawaja linked up with Labuschagne and the pair put on 114 for the fifth wicket.

Labuschagne was not in the initial 14-man squad but a hamstring injury to opening batsman Matt Renshaw and a green pitch saw the right-hander retained from the preceding one-day squad and included in the XI. He struck 11 fours before he became Siraj's fifth victim of the day, bowled in the 64th over. The next five wickets fell for 34 runs in 12.2 overs, with Kuldeep Yadav – the left-arm wrist-spinner who played the second Test for India in the ongoing series in England – removing Alex Carey for four and Brendan Doggett for zero, one of five Australia A batsman to be dismissed without scoring. Khawaja was the last man out, caught behind, and Siraj's eighth wicket to bring an end of the tourists first innings. Australia A's new-ball attack of Chris Tremain (0-15) and Brendan Doggett (0-23) bowled four overs each without luck, as Mayank Agarwal (31no) and Ravikumar Samarth (10no) batted out the day.

https://www.cricket.com.au/news/mat...iraj-labuschagne-patterson-kuldeep/2018-09-02

 

[MoJoJoJo]

Neser, Holland peg back India A to keep Australia A in the game

Australia A bounced commendably on day two of the first four-day game against India A in Bangalore, bowling their opponents out for 274 before extracting a slight lead by the close of play.

Michael Neser and Jon Holland were the stars for the tourists, taking seven wickets between them to restrict India to a first-innings lead of 31 runs. That India managed to gain any sort of lead was down to Ankit Bawne who scored a sublime 91 not out.

Mohammed Siraj had bowled beautifully on the first day, taking career-best figures 8/59 to keep the visiting team down to just 243 despite Usman Khawaja's excellent 127. India had resumed play at 41/0 but openers Mayank Agarwal and R Samarth fell quickly and wickets continued to fall regularly throughout the day. At the close Australia were batting at 42/1, Khawaja and Travis Head the unbeaten batsmen at 16 and 13 respectively.

Agarwal departed first, falling to Neser for 47 - an addition of 16 runs to his overnight score. Samarth scored 15 runs on the second day before falling for 25 to Holland's left-arm spin.
The right-arm seam of Neser then accounted for captain Shreyas Iyer for just three. Abhimanyu Easwaran was run out for 36 to compound India's woes before Holland captured the wicket of Srikar Bharat for just five as India slipped to 127/5.

Bawne then strung together two sizeable partnerships of 51 and 47 runs with K Gowtham (31) and Kuldeep Yadav (18) respectively.

Once they were dismissed Bawne received minimal support from the other end, but he farmed the strike magnificently to take the score comfortably past Australia's first innings total before the Ankit Rajpoot, the last man, was run out.

Australia had 16 overs to negotiate till stumps, and they lost the wicket of Kurtis Patterson to Siraj for 13, caught behind. Khawaja (16*) and Travis Head (13*) then played cautiously to steer Australia to an 11-run lead without further loss.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/844234

 

[Varun]

Bawne misses century, rescues India A vs Australia A

BENGALURU: India’s supply line of batsmen has been good, at least for conditions in the sub-continent. While Karun Nair, KL Rahul, Manish Pandey and Kedar Jadhav made a mark at the international level, waiting for his chance is Maharashtra’s Ankit Bawne.

Bawne failed to utilise his chances with the India A team in England, scoring a total of 44 runs in two innings against West Indies A. However, he turned the tide and played two good innings against South Africa A in the last game, scoring 80 along with an unbeaten 64.

On Monday, the middle-order batsman came to India A’s rescue against Australia A in the four-day match. On a difficult Chinnaswamy Day 2 track, Bawne made an unbeaten 91 when the team was constantly losing wickets from the other end. His batting took India A to 274 and got them a slender 31-run lead, which looked difficult at one point.

Mayank Agarwal and Ravikumar Samarth put on 62 for the opening stand. Their departure triggered a collapse. India A were 127/5 before lunch. Bawne showed maturity in holding his ground and stitched a 51-run partnership with Krishnappa Gowtham (31) for the sixth wicket. His work was not done yet. After Gowtham’s departure, Bawne and Kuldeep Yadav added 47 for the seventh wicket.

“What we needed was a good partnership and we knew Gowtham could bat. That was my target and we sort of succeeded. Once he was out, I had to take more of the strike and stop the collapse,” Bawne said.
After missing out on a hundred against South Africa A in the last game, he couldn’t get to one here either. But Bawne is satisfied that he helped the team.

“In the last game, I got out going for big hits which were not needed at that time. I didn’t do that here. I’m satisfied the way I batted and helped my team. I didn’t make many mistakes and played to my strengths,” said the player, who now has three half-centuries in as many innings.

At the end of the second day’s play here, Australia A were 42/1 with Travis Head (13) and Usman Khawaja (16) at the crease. Michael Neser was Australia A’s best bowler with four wickets for 72 runs.
krishnendu@newindainexpress.com

Brief scores: Australia A 243 & 42/1 vs India A 274 (Ankit Bawne 91 n.o, Mayank Agarwal 47, Michael Neser 4/72, Jon Holland 3/89).

Red vs Blue in Duleep Trophy final today

DINDIGUL: Abhinav Mukund-led India Red takes on India Blue, led by Faiz Fazal, in the final of the Duleep Trophy at the NPR College ground beginning Tuesday. A number of players have performed for India Red, the defending champions, with J&K off-spinner Parvez Rasool, Jharkand tweaker Shahbaz Nadeem and Vidarbha pacer Rajneesh Gurbani chief among them. Mukund hasn’t had a great run so far and would be looking to put his hand up with Indian openers struggling in the ongoing series in England.

http://www.newindianexpress.com/spo...y-rescues-india-a-vs-australia-a-1867193.html

 

[Abdullah719]

India A vs Australia A: Jon Holland spins Australia A to 98-win victory

Australia A have won the first unofficial Test against India A by 98 runs on Wednesday, with left-arm spinner Jon Holland claiming six wickets on the fourth day in Bengaluru to present a good case for selection for Australia’s upcoming Test series with Pakistan in the UAE.

Resuming on 63/2 in pursuit of a target of 262, India A folded from 106/2 to 163 as Holland spun a web with 6/81. Mayank Agarwal, 25 overnight, was the only batsman to cross 28; barring Shreyas Iyer (28) and Ankit Bawne (25), no player made it to double-digits.

Losing eight wickets for 57 runs in 22.1 overs was not what India A coach Rahul Dravid could have expected. ”There were a few batsmen who showed it, but unfortunately not more than a couple of guys [from India A] were able to bat well. It was a good learning opportunity for our players, and a good challenge,” Dravid told reporters after the loss. ”There were lots of bowleds and lbws. Not many catches in the slips. The ball was turning but it was turning slowly. You needed to be patient and bat through periods when runs-scoring wouldn’t be easy.

Bawne – who made 91 in India A’s first innings – was the first wicket to fall, when an attempted sweep off Holland rolled onto the stumps. That was the opening that Australia A needed. Mitchell Marsh turned to Travis Head for two overs, and the result was that his part-time spin had Ravikumar Samarth caught and bowled. Brendan Doggett came back and removed KS Bharat for 0, K Gowtham won an lbw shout against K Gowtham and then it was Holland who removed the biggest wicket of all for his fifth of the innings.

Agarwal was ninth out for 80, caught and bowled by Holland, who then ended the match off his next ball when he removed Ankit Rajpoot. Agarwal’s battling half-century was an extension of the good form that has seen him earmarked for an India call-up, but he will rue a serious lack of support.

Brief scores: Australia A 243 (Khawaja 127, Labuschagne 60, Siraj 8/59) & 292 (Head 87, Khawaja 40) beat India A 274 (Bawne 91, Agarwal 47, Neser 4/61) & 163 (Agarwal 80, Holland 6/81)

https://www.cricketcountry.com/news...nd-spins-australia-a-to-98-win-victory-742540

 

[Varun]

India-A will look to rebound from debacle


The second and final unofficial Test against Australia-A begins at the Alur ground
A wounded India-A will have to regroup quickly against the visiting Australians as the second and final unofficial Test begins at the Alur ground near here on Saturday.

Australia-A will understandably be chuffed following the 98-run victory in the first game, for the tour is seen as preparation for senior team’s trip to the UAE next month to play Pakistan, and a couple of Test hopefuls have delivered.

Likely changes
Pacemen Michael Nesser and Brendan Doggett, most likely to replace the injured duo of Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummings in the UAE, gave good accounts of themselves at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. With one more fine show, they may well seal their places.

Left-arm spinner Jon Holland is a little ahead of the curve, after his nine-wicket haul turned the contest Australia’s way.

It remains to be seen if the other two slower bowlers, Ashton Agar and leggie Mitchell Swepson, will be given opportunities to impress.

Matt Renshaw, who missed the first Test with a hamstring injury is likely to play. Wicketkeeper and vice-captain Alex Carey though will return to Australia to be home for the birth of his child, while Peter Handscomb deputises for him.

The focus will also be firmly on captain Mitchell Marsh, another aspirant for a senior team berth, but one who had to endure a twin failure in the last match.

For the Indians, the stakes may be far lower, but coach Rahul Dravid will expect nothing short of a strong reaction from his wards.

Apart from Mayank Agarwal and Ankeet Bawane, the batsmen struggled against both spin and pace. Skipper Shreyas Iyer, by his own high standards, has had a quiet few months and some big runs will be more than welcome.

The teams (from):

India-A: Shreyas Iyer (Capt.), Mayank Agarwal, R. Samarth, A. Easwaran, Ankeet Bawane, Shubman Gill, K.S. Bharat (wk), Shahbaz Nadeem, Kuldeep Yadav, K. Gowtham, Rajneesh Gurbani, Navdeep Saini, Ankit Rajpoot and Mohammed Siraj.

https://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/india-a-will-look-to-rebound-from-debacle/article24896659.ece

 

[Varun]

Good start by Aus A, 95/1 after 27 overs.

 

[Abdullah719]

Aus 290/6 at Stumps. Mitch Marsh 86*, Head 68.

 

[MenInG]

In final chance to impress ahead of Australia's next Test series, Mitch Marsh (86*) and Travis Head (68) lead the way against India A
India A v Australia A - Four-Day,

Australia A captain Mitch Marsh played an encouraging hand, while Travis Head continued his late push for a maiden Test squad berth on the opening day of their second four-day match against India A in Alur. But incumbent Test batsmen Matthew Renshaw and Peter Handscomb, as well as the in-form Marnus Labuschagne, all missed out ahead of next week's squad announcement for the upcoming series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates. Marsh steered the side out of danger with an unbeaten 86, combining with allrounder Michael Neser (44 not out) for a vital and unbroken 110-run partnership late in the day after the visitors earlier slumped to 6-180. Australia A went to stumps on Saturday at 6-290.

Head, batting at No.3, continued his fine 'A' tour with an accomplished knock of 68 against the spin-heavy Indian attack on Saturday, The 24-year-old hit 10 fours in his 128-ball knock before being stumped off the bowling of Test wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav (2-68). His half-century comes after scoring 87 against the same opposition earlier this week, while he also posted 110 against South Africa A in the one-day leg of the tour. Contributions in this match will be keenly noted by national selectors, who are set to convene at the conclusion of this Australia A tour to pick the squad for next month's Pakistan Test series. Marsh is considered one of the main contenders to be named Tim Paine's vice captain, with the allrounder set to resume bowling in this match after undergoing ankle surgery earlier this year. Renshaw returned for his first match since suffering a minor hamstring complaint last month but was out for a duck, lasting seven balls before being bowled by paceman Rajneesh Gurbani (1-50) in the second over of the day.

Fellow opener Kurtis Patterson struck 48 before both he and Handscomb (8) were out to left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem (2-64) late in a first session extended by 30 minutes due to the teams' catered lunch being stuck in Bengaluru traffic. Head departed after the interval and was followed back by Labuschagne for a duck and Ashton Agar (23) to leave the visitors in a spot of bother, before Marsh and Neser steadied the innings. Batsman Usman Khawaja and spinner Jon Holland, Australia A's two standout performers from their 98-run victory over India A in their first match, were both left out of the XI to give Agar, Renshaw and leggie Mitchell Swepson a crack in the subcontinental conditions. Wicketkeeper Alex Carey has flown home for the birth of his first child, with Handscomb taking the gloves for this match. Left-arm quick Joel Paris is not taking part due to back soreness.

Australia A Tour of India Australia A four-day squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Alex Carey (vc), Ashton Agar, Brendan Doggett, Peter Handscomb, Travis Head, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Michael Neser, Joel Paris, Kurtis Patterson, Matthew Renshaw, Mitch Swepson, Chris Tremain Four-day fixtures in Vizag 2-5 September v India A 8-11 September v India A

https://www.cricket.com.au/news/mat...sh-travis-head-pakistan-test-squad/2018-09-08

 

[Varun]

Australia A sitting pretty at 327/8.

Have they got enough?

 

[MenInG]

Karnataka’s Ravikumar Samarth and Bengal’s Abhimanyu Eswaran helped India A edge ahead against Australia A on day two of the 2nd unofficial Test at the Alur Cricket Ground, Alur on Sunday.

Resuming at 290 for six, Australia A could only add 56 runs for the last four wickets before Kuldeep Yadav wiped out the tail returning five for 91 in the first innings. Australia A skipper Mitchell Marsh remained unbeaten on 113.

In reply, Samarth and Eswaran – India A openers – got together for a big stand of 174 runs with Samarath scoring 83 off 136 deliveries while Eswaran added 86 off 165 deliveries. The partnership was broken by Ashton Agar and two runs later, Eswaran was run out by Run Out Marnus Labuschagne.

Skipper Shreyas Iyer made an unbeaten 30 while No.4 Ankit Bawne was scalped by spinner Mitchell Swepson for 13. At stumps, Shubham Gill was at the stumps unbeaten on six in company of Iyer as India A finished at 223 for three, trailing Australia A by 123 runs.

India A made an immediate impact on day two with left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem removing overnight batsman Michael Nesser for 44 in the second over of the day with Australia A yet to add to their day one score.

Then Kuldeep Yadav, who had claimed two wickets on day one, removed tailenders Chris Tremain (16), Mitchell Swepson (4) and Brendan Dogget (8) in his successive overs.

However, Marsh who resumed on 86 managed to hit some lusty blows to reach the triple figure mark before his team was all out for 346.

Brief Scores: India A 223/3 (Abhimanyu Eswaran 86, Ravikumar Samarth 83; Ashton Agar 1/41) trail Australia A 346 (Mitchell Marsh 113*, Travis Head 68; Kuldeep Yadav 5/91) by 123 runs


https://www.cricketcountry.com/news...-put-india-a-in-control-vs-australia-a-743946

 

[MoJoJoJo]

Batsmen put India A in box seat on day three

A blistering Srikar Bharat hundred and fifties from Shubman Gill and Kuldeep Yadav handed India A a first innings lead of 159 against Australia A on day three of the unofficial Test on Monday, 10 September.

India finished the day on top, posting a massive 505 first innings total and later reducing the visitors to 38/2, with Travis Head unbeaten on four and Peter Handscomb on one at stumps in Alur.

Krishnappa Gowtham and Shahbaz Nadeem sent the openers – Kurtis Patterson and Matt Renshaw – back for 4 and 19 respectively. Australia, who posted 346 in the first innings, are trailing by 121 runs with eight wickets in hand.

Australia A finished the day on 38/2, trailing by 121 runs Australia A finished the day on 38/2, trailing by 121 runs
The day belonged to Bharat, who scored a brilliant 106 before falling to spinner Ashton Agar. His 186-ball innings featured 12 boundaries and a six.

Earlier, India resumed the play on 223/3, with their captain Shreyas Iyer unbeaten on 30 and having Shubman Gill for company on six. Iyer added 12 more runs to his overnight score before being bowled by Mitchell Marsh.

Pacer Chris Tremain provided Australia with their second breakthrough of the day. Gill, who scored a measure 76-ball 50, fell after adding a 41-run fifth wicket stand with Bharat.

Kuldeep Yadav scored a steady 112-ball 52 Kuldeep Yadav scored a steady 112-ball 52
India lost two more wickets shortly after lunch. First, Brendan Doggett had Gowtham caught and bowled for 20 and five overs later Agar trapped Deepak Chahar in front for just six, reducing India to 370/7.

Bharat, along with Kuldeep Yadav, then took the proceedings further and steadied the innings. Yadav batted with grit, bringing up his half-century off 102 deliveries. The Bharat-Yadav duo stitched a 113-run partnership for the eighth wicket before Tremain struck twice in one over, snaring Yadav for 52 and Nadeem for duck a ball later.

A brilliant delivery from Agar wrapped up the India innings, as he picked up the prized scalp of Bharat. Rajneesh Gurbani, the No.11, remained unbeaten on 16.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/846452

 

[MenInG]

India A beat Australia A by six wickets in the second and final four-day game to square the series 1-1 even as Australia's Test hopefuls failed to make the most of their last hit in the subcontinent.

One of them, Travis Head, who had walked in on Monday with his team in a spot at 37/2, combined with Peter Handscomb to take Australia to 107/2 at lunch, after they had fallen behind by 157 runs in the first innings as India A scored 505 in reply to their 346.

Head's wicket in the second session, caught by Ravikumar Samarth off Shahbaz Nadeem, changed the flow, and Marnus Labuschagne, another man who has been included for Australia's tour of the United Arab Emirates to play Pakistan, completed a pair and Australia were in trouble again, at 117/4.

Marnus Labuschagne, picked in the squad for the two-match Test series against Pakistan, bagged a pair Marnus Labuschagne, picked in the squad for the two-match Test series against Pakistan, bagged a pair
Out walked captain Mitchell Marsh, and scored a vital 36 in a 43-run stand with Handscomb, who then fell for 56 to Kuldeep Yadav. With the score 160/5 and the lead a mere three runs, the lower order needed to contribute for Australia, who went into tea at 185/6.

With time running out as well, the onus was on India to bowl the opponents out and force a result in order to level the series and they did exceptionally well. Krishanappa Gowtham dismissed Marsh, who had shared a 31-run stand with Michael Neser for the seventh wicket, to initiate a lower-order collapse as Australia were bundled for 213, losing their last five wickets for just 53 runs.

Kuldeep Yadav returned three wickets in the second innings and eight in the match Kuldeep Yadav returned three wickets in the second innings and eight in the match
Yadav picked up 3/46 while Krishnappa Gowtham returned 3/39. Nadeem and Deepak Chahar got two wickets each.

India had a paltry chase of 55 lined up, but next to no time in hand, and that meant they had to swing their bats at everything. Wickets fell, four of them, but the Indians got the runs they needed in 6.2 overs, with Ankit Bawne scoring 28* in just 18 balls and K Srikar Bharat, the first-innings centurion, hitting 12 in just six balls.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/846908