Day 4, Match Report: Final day’s play washed out due to rain; Australia A claim Test series 1-0 vs India A

Australia A claim the series after their three-wicket win last week at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane against India A.

India A and Australia A final day game ends due to persistent rains at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane on Sunday without a ball being bowled on Day Four. The match ended in a draw. Australia A claim the series after their three-wicket win last week at the same venue against India A. Australia A were very much routing for 2-0 on the fourth and final day, needing six wickets to win the match. However, India A required another 109 runs to make Australia A bat again. Australia A were in commanding position and their key player Hilton Cartwright was rewarded with Man of the Match award for his outstanding maiden century to push Australia A to a total of 435.

Apart from him, pacer Kane Richardson ended up with figures of 4 for 37 and Jon Holland was also the highlight of the show with figures of 3 for 59. The batting unit put up an brilliant show with Nic Maddinson, Beau Webster and Sam Whiteman scoring 81, 79 and 51 respectively. As for India A, Hardik Pandya was the only stand alone batsman who scored 79 to put up total of 169 in first innings. However, Shardul Thakur was the rising star for the visitors with figures of 5 for 101. In the second innings, Akhil Herwadkar reserved his best knock for the last and remained unbeaten at 82 as India were 158 for 4.

Faiz Fazal and Sanju Samson also contributed with the bat as they scored 29 and 34 respectively. Samson also remained unbeaten along with Herwadkar on the final day. ALSO READ: Day 3 Report, 2nd unofficial Test: IND A thwart AUS A’s path to early victory

On Day One, Australia A continued to make most of their momentum from the first Test win and kept India A at 169 for 9 at Stumps, after bad light forced the umpires to call it a day. A hard-fought 79 not out from Pandya, who along with Varun Aaron remained unbeaten at the crease, was the highlight for India A, on a day dominated by Australia A’s quickies. New-ball bowlers Richardson and Jackson Bird, took three wickets each, to dent India A’s first innings total. After Joe Burns won the toss on Day One at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane, and decided to bowl, Richardson made the first breakthrough and was rewarded for following a consistent line. Karun Nair was next to departing to a run-out with a direct hit from Cartwright, trying to steal a quick single.

Chadd Sayers and Bird soon struck again in a span of three deliveries as India A were left reeling at 11 for 4. While Herwadkar got a faint edge to the wicketkeeper Whiteman, Bird trapped Manish Pandey in front to get him out for a first ball duck. Ojha, Nair and Manish have been unable to go all guns blazing in this series and showed signs of the same since Day One. ALSO READ: Bancroft’s resilience steers AUS A to win against IND A

On Day Two, the control completely belonged to Australia A. Cartwright’s 99 not out and took the hosts to a 150-run lead in their bags, and the first innings score reading 319 for 5. The highlight of the day was an important 152-run stand for the fifth wicket between Cartwright and Webster. But that was after Maddinson had scored an entertaining 81-run knock, including 12 fours and 2 sixes. While India A began the day with their overnight score of score 169-9, they could not add any runs to that score, as Pandya became Richardson’s fourth victim, after being dismissed four balls into proceedings on Day Two.

Webster did take his time, early on but soon both the batsmen looked well settled and the scoring rate increased. Webster though was the last man out, becoming Thakur’s victim with the new-ball in his hands. He departed for 79. Whiteman, who was playing at 9 and Cartwright at 99 were at the crease at close of play.

On Day Three, India A blew away a strong opening partnership by losing four quick wickets for an addition of just 16 runs as they ended Day Three against Australia A at 158 for four, still needing 108 runs to avoid the innings defeat. After Australia A were all out for 435 in reply to India A’s first innings total of 169, openers Herwadkar and Fazal stitched 84 runs in 30 overs. But then India A lost their first four wickets in a cluster, three to Holland, the left-arm spinner, and one to a run out, to finish the day on 158 for four in their second innings. The Indian batting collapse began with Fazal being run out for 29 and three more wickets falling for the addition of 16 runs. From 84 for no loss in the 30th over, India A were reduced to 100 for four in the 37th over.

Herwadkar was dropped twice, first by Maddinson at first slip, and then on 53, when Bird put down a tough chance at leg slip. The dropped catches apart, Australia A also missed a run out opportunity. India A’s opening partnership ended with a chaotic run out. A throw at the striker’s end missed the stumps before Dean, backing up, hit the other end to catch Fazal short of his ground. Fazal had played second fiddle to Herwadkar, contributing 29 off 88 balls with two fours and a six. Thereafter, Holland struck three times. First, Nair was trapped lbw, and then Manish  was caught by Webster, and finally, Ojha was caught by Bird. ALSO READ: India A’s win in Quadrangular series in Australia step in right direction

Herwadkar and Samson then came together for an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 58. Samson faced 76 balls for his unbeaten 34, while Herwadkar had faced 188 balls and struck six fours and three sixes. India A had played the quadrangular A-Team One-Day International (ODI) series ahead of the Tests against Australia A. They reached the final and stamped their victory against the hosts in Mackay. Coming with victory, the visitors faced series loss against the hosts with rains playing spoilsport.

Brief Scores:

Australia A 435 (Nic Maddinson 81, Beau Webster 79, Hilton Cartwright 117, Sam Whiteman 51; Shardul Thakur 5 for 101, Jayant Yadav 3 for 95) drew India A 169 (Jayant Yadav 28, Hardik Pandya 79; Kane Richardson 4 for 37, Jackson Bird 3 for 53) & 158 for 4 (Akhil Herwadkar 82*, Faiz Fazal 28, Sanju Samson 34*; Jon Holland 3 for 59)