Ind 'A' vs Aus 'A' Game 2: Match Report

Usually no cricket fan cares to watch and take interest in a game between two second string or ‘A’ sides, and never admits the all important Ashes! However,the second four-day game between India ‘A’ and Australia ‘A’ gained importance after ace Indian batsman Virat Kohli approached the BCCI to include him for the game. He was looking for some practice aged of the Sri Lanka series and get back to business after a brief holiday.

Several young budding Australian cricketers now had the opportunity to show their mettle by taking his wicket! This wicket could be their ticket to the national squad! Before the game, left arm spinner Ashton Agar spoke about his return after a shoulder injury and desired to pick Kohli’s wicket.

After winning the toss, Indian captain Cheteshwar Pujara opted to bat first at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.

But the result was disastrous as the Aussies took only 69 odd overs to bundle out the Indian for a paltry 135.

The opening duo of Abhinav Mukund and Cheteshwar Pujara failed to keep up to expectations and both were out under 20, scoring 15 and 11 respectively. Spinner Steve o keefe got the former to the keeper while Marcus Stoinis got the skipper.

Coming to the middle order, the story was the same as Virat, who was looked upon to lift the team, struggled to read the pitch of the balls. He looked rusty. His hour long struggle finally came to an end after he was caught in front by an incoming arm ball, by Agar. He made 16 off 42 deliveries.

Karun Nair, compensated the last failure with a 50. The only hope for the Indians. Shreyas Iyer, fell to spinner o keefe, again showing inexperience. Keeper Naman Ojha also failed on the occasion as he ended up being stumped by Wade off Agar.

Baba Aparjith was another failure, with 12 to his name. The tail fell for a shameful 10 runs as it all wrapped up for 135 in 68.5 overs.

For Australia, it was the spin twins O Keefe(2/30) and Agar (2/23) doing the job. Gurinder Sandhu (3/25) wrapped up the tail.

In reply, the Aussies are 43/0 with Khawaja(13) and1 Bancroft (24) at the crease.

Australia A put up an all round performance to outplay India A in the unofficial ‘Test’ series. Pic Courtesy: NDTV)

Day 2: India on the top.

A lot of action took place on day 2 of the four day game. Khawaja batting overnight fell to left-arm spinner Praghyan Ojha soon after play commenced on day 2. On the other hand, Bancroft was in good nick and scoring on will. He kept one end secure.

In came to replace Joe Burns skipper Khawaja. But his stay was brief as he followed his skipper who scored 33 (94) back to the dressing room after scoring just 8 off 17.

Same was the story with Peter handscomb, who did not trouble the scorers. He was caught by Kohli off Ojha. Ojha had now given India a strong comeback in the game.

But things then changed for the Indians as Callum ferguson came ikn to join Bancroft who was batting beautifully. The score read 123/3 after 38 overs.

He combined with Bancroft and built a strong partnership. The Indians were frustrated over the domination by these two. And finally, leggie Shreyas gopal picked Ferguson up with a beauty.

Two more wickets fell on the day, both claimed by part-timer Aparjith, as he dismissed Marcus Stoinis and Matthew Wade for 10 and 11 respectively.

Day 3 : India fight but the aussies ahead.

After conceding a huge first innings lead, India A’s top order faltered once again, but the hosts managed to reach 267 for the loss of six at the end of third day’s play. Abhinav Mukund (59), Shreyas Iyer (49) and Virat Kohli (45) were the performers in the second innings of the four-day game as India A gained a 53-run lead.

At the start of the day, the visitors added just 20 more to their overnight total of 329 for nine. Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha (4-107) completed the necessary formalities.

Later in the day, skipper Cheteshwar Pujara (11) failed to inspire the line-up after running himself out early, while Kohli worked hard during his 94-ball stay before being cleaned up by a Steve O’Keefe (3-83) beauty.

Pujara was to be blamed for his late start from the bowling end while Mukund, who made the call for a run easily made ground at the other end. Karun Nair (31) also departed soon after, a decnt knock, scalped by Gurinder Sandhu (1-74) as India were reduced the hosts to 134 for three.

Mukund and Iyer then stitched a 70-run fourth-wicket partnership to stage a fightback, but Ashton Agar (1-71) broke the crucial stand after plotting the left-handed opener’s failure. Iyer followed soon after when O’Keefe got him cleaned up in the following over.

Naman Ojha (30) then tried to steady India A along with with Aparajith, but they could add only 47 runs before the sixth-wicket stand was ended by young spinner O’Keefe, who dismissed the wicketkeeper-batsman. Ojha struck a six and three fours in his 44-ball stay before edging it to Khawaja at slip.

Day 4: Aussies seal 10-wicket win comfortably

Continuing on with their overnight score of 26/6, the Cheteshwar Pujara-led side bundled out for 274 as pace spearhead Gurinder Sandhu (4-76) wiped the India A tail within the first half hour of the fourth and on final day’s morning India A lost thei rlast four for just seven runs and were bowled out with only a 60-run lead.

Sandhu turned on the heat after sending back overnight batsman Shreyas Gopal (0) without troubling the scorers and then picked up Varun Aaron (1) and dangerman Baba Aparajith (30) in his next couple of overs to flatten India A hopes.Left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe picked the final wicket, of Shardul Thakur (4), to turn in with impressive figures of 4-88.Needing 61 for a win, openers Cameron Bancroft (21 not out) and Usman Khawaja (41 not out) completed the formalities in double quick time.

Apart from Sandhu and O’Keefe, who bagged 5 and 6 wickets respectively in both the innings, Bancroft was the star for the visitors with a crucial 150 in the first innings.Australia A rode on Bancroft’s patient ton to post 349 in response to India A’s 135 all out to clinch a vital 214-run lead in the first innings.

Aparajith, with a five-wicket haul in the first innings, was the standout performer for the home team, which boasted of Indian Test skipper Virat. .Playing the match as a tune-up exercise before the Sri Lanka Test tour starting August 12, Kohli contributed with 16 and 45 runs in the first and second innings respectively.

Karun Nair’s 50 in the first innings and opener Abhinav Mukund’s fighting 59 in the second were also some of the notable contributions from India A players.The Indian batsmen did put up a better show in their second innings on Day 3 but the top and the middle-order was guilty of not capitalising on starts to get big scores.Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (49), Nair (31) and Naman Ojha (30) put up some resistance against a disciplined Australia attack only to let it slip eventually.Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha also made his presence felt with figures of 4-107.