NEW DELHI: Sai Sudharsan's magnificent century and Devdutt Padikkal's solid 88 helped India A set a challenging 225-run target for Australia A in the first unofficial Test at Mackay's Great Barrier Reef Arena.
After being bowled out for a meager 107 in the first innings, India A rebounded with a strong 312 in their second innings, answering Australia’s 195 all out.
Pacer Mukesh Kumar excelled with a six-wicket haul (6/46), and Prasidh Krishna supported him well with three wickets, restricting Australia A to a crucial 88-run lead.
Sudharsan and Padikkal, the only batters to reach double digits in the first innings, anchored India A’s second innings with an unbroken 178-run partnership for the third wicket.
Sudharsan scored a steady 103 off 200 balls, hitting nine boundaries, while Padikkal’s 88 off 199 balls included six fours, guiding India A out of a difficult position.
Australia A's bowlers, Fergus O'Neill and Todd Murphy, played a key role in the team's strong position against India. O'Neill took four wickets while Murphy picked up three in the match.
Australia A ended the day at 139 for three, with 86 more runs needed for victory. Indian bowlers struggled to make an impact in their second innings.
Nathan McSweeney, Australia's captain, and Beau Webster were batting at 47 and 19, respectively, at the end of play. McSweeney and Webster formed an unbroken partnership of 54 runs for the fourth wicket after their team had slipped to 85 for three.
India managed to score 312 in their second innings, recovering from their poor performance on the first day when they were all out for 107.
Brief scores:
India A: 107 and 312 all out in 100 overs (Sai Sudharsan 103, Devdutt Padikkal 88; Fergus O'Neill 4/55, Todd Murphy 3/77)
Australia A: 195 and 139/3 in 50.3 overs (Nathan McSweeney 47 batting, Marcus Harris 36).
