With a three-wicket loss to Australia ‘A’, India ‘A’ remain at the No 2 position in the points table of the ongoing Triangular series in Chennai.
Coming on the back of a comprehensive win against South Africa ‘A’, the hosts elected to bat in their third match of the tournament. However, much to their dismay they lost half their side to Ashton Agar and were reduced to 161 for six in the 35th over. It was Manish Pandey and Karn Sharma’s 58-run partnership after the mini-collapse that helped the team set the table-toppers a competitive 259-run target. But, Travis Head got the visitors off to a good start and a well compiled 63 by Christopher Lynn helped set-up the match for Australia ‘A’. Although India ‘A’ struck in the middle to give themselves a chance at defending the target by leaving the opposition on 178 for six; the 80-run stand between Callum Ferguson (45*) and Adam Zampa (54) thereafter seized the match away from the home team.
Earlier, Unmukt Chand, who had played a vital knock in the team’s first win on August 9, was the first to return to the pavilion having top-edged James Pattinson to the wicketkeeper. Pandey, who then came to bat scored seven before retiring hurt.
Mayank Agarwal, who had scored a match-winning century in the previous match, continued from where he had left against SA ‘A’ on Sunday. With Karun Nair he steadily shaped the innings and had taken the tally to 98 when Agar ended the stand in his first over. Usman Khawaja introduced the spinner as the partnership began to blossom and the bowler repaid his captain by running through the line-up.
He disrupted Agarwal’s stumps and triggered a mini-collapse. Kedar Jadhav then handed a simple catch to mid-off off the next ball to return for a duck. Although Agar was then denied a hat-trick by Sanju Samson, he had Nair trapped lbw with the arm-ball 17 runs later.
Axar Patel then joined Samson in an effort to arrest the fall of wickets and the duo stitched a 41-run partnership until the wicketkeeper-batsman was done in by the extra bounce.
Pandey, who had returned to the crease after the departure of Samson then found an able ally in Karn and the pair kept the bowlers at bay to build a crucial stand and salvage the innings. Scoring at over six runs per over they kept India in the fray. With a six over long-on off Gurinder Sandhu, Pandey brought up fifty of the partnership. However, later in the over, Karn edged a slower bouncer and Mathew Wade took a superb diving catch to end the stand for 58. In the bowler’s next, the top-order bat hit the ball straight to mid-off to depart for 50.
Defending the total, Kulkarni and Sandeep were milked by Khawaja and Head as they looked to get the visitors’ off to a good start.
Head slammed Sandeep for three boundaries in his first over to set the tone for the Australian innings. However, the partnership was ended for 58 by Dhawan, who forced a nick from the opposition captain through to the wicketkeeper and Samson took the catch to his left to send the opener back. With Lynn, Head then added 36 before stepping out to Karn and finding himself his stumps rattled for 45.
Lynn, then looked to carry the momentum forward with Handscomb. Dropped on 25, he continued to milk the bowlers and anchored the innings taking Australia ‘A’ to a position of strength. Playing aggressively he clobbered the Indian bowlers as he went past his half-century. The team was comfortably perched on 153 when the Karn struck to end the third wicket stand for 59. Handscomb departed hitting the ball to long-on and in the next over Patel knocked back Lynn’s off-stump.
With two quick wickets India plugged the flow of runs. Five overs later, Karn struck a vital blow by dismantling Wade’s woodwork.
With 82 runs required, Agar joined Ferguson but was sent back by Nair in the next. The part-time offspinner had the lower middle-order bat stumped to keep India in the reckoning.
Edges flew as Adam Zampa, who had joined Ferguson in the effort to overhaul the target took his chances in an effort to close in on the total. Scoring briskly he went past his senior partner and posted a timely half-century. With the scores leveled the lower-order bat however lost his stumps to Sandeep. Ferguson then took the team across line.
Man of the Match: Ashton Agar for his five-wicket haul to put Australia 'A' in commanding position.
