IND A vs AUS A: Disappointing show from visitors, Jurel’s half-century only silver lining on day 1

India A was bowled out for 161 runs in 57.1 overs, before Australia A started their innings and rain interrupted the play in the second unofficial Test between India A and Australia A at Melbourne. Rain interrupted the action after just 17.1 overs in Australia’s first innings. Despite the shortened day, India A’s bowlers managed to make some early inroads, leaving Australia A at 53/2 before play was halted. Aussies are now trailing by 108 runs.

The Dhruv Jurel show

India’s wicketkeeper batter Dhruv Jurel stood out with a fighting half-century, keeping his side in the game despite losing partners regularly. Jurel scored crucial 80 runs under pressure, attacking the Australian bowlers when needed and making smart decisions to farm the strike. India A’s innings had a few other small contributions, but none of the batters could form a solid partnership to give India A a larger total.

McAndrew, Rocchiccioli, Micha Neser, and Webster did most of the damage for Australia A, picking up wickets at regular intervals to restrict India’s score. Naser and Webster took 4 and 3 wickets, respectively.

Top-4 goes out on a collective score of 8

India A’s top order struggled right from the start and showed a poor show. Surprisingly, today, KL Rahul opened with Abhimanyu Eshwaran. The duo failed miserably, with Easwaran getting out for zero, caught by Rocchiccioli off Neser after facing only three balls. KL Rahul managed a boundary but soon fell for just 4 runs, caught by Peirson off Boland.

Sai Sudharsan went out for a golden duck, caught by Bancroft off Neser on his first ball. Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad also couldn’t score much, adding only 4 runs before he was caught by Bancroft off Neser again. With four top-order batsmen dismissed early, India A faced pressure, putting the responsibility on the middle and lower order to steady the innings.

Australia A’s openers get going

Australia A openers, Marcus Harris and Nathan McSweeney, got off to a steady start, adding 31 runs for the first wicket. Harris looked confident from the beginning, hitting some elegant drives and pulling short deliveries to the boundary. McSweeney, though more cautious, played a few crisp shots, adding valuable runs before the Indian bowlers found their rhythm.

Mukesh strikes first

Mukesh Kumar provided India A with a crucial breakthrough, dismissing McSweeney for 14 runs. Bowling a back-of-a-length delivery outside off-stump, Mukesh got McSweeney to edge it to Rahul at slip, who took a comfortable catch. This wicket gave India A the much-needed confidence, and they began to put pressure on the Australian batters.

Khaleel removes Bancroft

Khaleel Ahmed, introduced into the attack soon after, bowled a strong spell, keeping the Australian batters on their toes. He managed to dismiss Cameron Bancroft for just 3 runs, as Bancroft tried to pull a delivery but ended up hitting it straight to the fielder at square leg. This was an effective breakthrough for India A, as Bancroft is known for his resilience and could have anchored the Australian innings.

Harris holds firm amidst pressure

Despite losing two partners early, Marcus Harris continued to play confidently. He kept the scoreboard ticking with quick singles and timely boundaries. The Indian bowlers, especially Khaleel and Mukesh, bowled with discipline, keeping Harris in check while testing the new batter Sam Konstas. Khaleel managed to beat Konstas’ outside edge a couple of times, but Harris held his ground and continued to accumulate runs.

Rain stops play, stumps called early

Just as the game seemed to be heating up, rain interrupted play with Australia A at 53/2 in 17.1 overs. The players were forced to return to the pavilion, and after waiting for a while, the umpires decided to call stumps for the day due to wet conditions.

Day 2 outlook

With Australia A at 53/2, Day 2 promises an exciting battle if the weather permits. India A will aim to take quick wickets to restrict Australia’s lead, while Australia A will look to build a solid foundation. Much will depend on how Marcus Harris and Sam Konstas handle the Indian bowlers in the morning session, as India A will hope to capitalise on the early inroads they’ve made.

IND A vs AUS A 2nd unofficial Test playing XI

Australia A:Marcus Harris, Nathan McSweeney (c), Cameron Bancroft, Sam Konstas, Ollie Davies, Beau Webster, Jimmy Peirson (wk), Michael Neser, Nathan McAndrew, Scott Boland and Corey Rocchiccioli

India A: Abhimanyu Easwaran, Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Sai Sudharsan, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel(w), Nitish Reddy, Tanush Kotian, Khaleel Ahmed, Prasidh Krishna and Mukesh Kumar.