India A Makes History with Record Chase Against Australia A
New Delhi: India A made history during their second unofficial Test against Australia A at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on September 26. Under the captaincy of KL Rahul, the Indian side achieved a remarkable feat by chasing down a daunting target of 412 runs, marking the first time a team in ‘A’ Test history has successfully completed such a chase.
KL Rahul played a standout innings, scoring 176 runs off 210 balls, which included 16 boundaries and four sixes. Sai Sudharsan contributed significantly with a century of his own, amassing 100 runs from 172 deliveries, featuring nine fours and a six. The Indian team clinched victory with five wickets remaining on the final day of the match.
In his innings, Rahul opened alongside Naryan Jagadeesan and finished not out alongside Nitish Kumar Reddy, who scored 16 runs off 14 balls. Dhruv Jurel, the captain, added a brisk 56 runs off 66 balls, hitting five fours and three sixes.
Australia A set a formidable first-innings total of 420 runs, with Jack Edwards top-scoring at 88 runs. Nathan McSweeney and Todd Murphy both contributed half-centuries, while Manav Suthar was the standout bowler for India, claiming five wickets.
In reply, India A struggled, getting bowled out for just 194 runs, with Sai Sudharsan being the only notable scorer with 75 runs. Six players were dismissed for single-digit scores, leaving Yash Thakur unbeaten on one as the Indian side was set a target of 226 runs.
In their second innings, Australia A could not replicate their earlier form, falling for 185 runs. Suthar and Gurnoor Brar each took three wickets, with Mohammed Siraj and Yash Thakur claiming two apiece. McSweeney scored the highest for Australia A in that innings with 85 runs, while Josh Philippe added 50.
India A’s Playing XI:
N. Jagadeesan, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Dhruv Jurel (c & wk), Ayush Badoni, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Gurnoor Brar, Manav Suthar.
Australia’s Playing XI:
Sam Konstas, Campbell Kellaway, Nathan McSweeney (c), Oliver Peake, Cooper Connolly, Josh Philippe (wk), Jack Edwards, Will Sutherland, Corey Rocchiccioli, Todd Murphy, Henry Thornton.
