Day Report: Shardul Thakur keeps India A at bay as Australia A stumble to 59/4 at stumps

Australia A need 100 runs to win against India A as they meet on Day 4 at the Allan Border Oval in Brisbane.

Australia A ended their chase to 159 at 59 for 4 on Day Three of first four-day match against India A at the Allan Border Oval in Brisbane. India A faced miserable collapse in the first session managing to score to a mere 158 but the ball dominated the bat through the day and supported the hosts. With Australia’s losing 4 wickets already, the chase seems to be pretty tricky at the moment. Shardul Thakur’s two wickets kept India A at bay while the hosts were chasing the target. Australia A are just 100 runs away from the victory unless India A bowlers manage to bowl out the hosts early through the day. ALSO READ: India A suffer batting collapse, set a target of 159

There was no play after tea due to persistent rains and thunderstorms which means the match will be played on the Day Four. Had the match continued the results would have been out on Day Three. Australia A will see their opening batsman Cameron Bancroft playing at 16 off 74 deliveries while new batsman Beau Webster at six. Meanwhile, India A bowlers were energetic on field and their pacers bowled with energy to get immediate wickets. With the wickets falling it looked like the match would wrap within by three days. With the help of Thakur bowling out Joe Burns and Travis Dean, the match horribly concluded for Australia A.

Hardik Pandya also got lucky as he took crucial wicket of Australia A captain Peter Handscomb who was dismissed for 18-ball 24. The hero of Indian Premier League (IPL) Marcus Stoinis, was dismissed for a duck and was unable to provide any impetus for his side. Day Three was pretty much leaned towards India A as they were 46 for 2 at stumps. However, rains changed the course of the game and soon the game tilted towards Australia A. Australia A’s three pacers enjoyed to rattle India A batsmen. On Day Four, Australia A dominated India A as they were brought down to 70 for 7. The trend continued and the lower middle-order also could not handle the Australia A pacers. ALSO READ: Day Report: India A bowlers restrict Australia A to 228

Australia A’ Daniel Worrall, David Moody and Chadd Sayers ended with three wickets apiece. India A’ star batsman and birthday boy today Manish Pandey, had tough luck as he was departed too soon. After a somewhat erratic display during the opening two days, Australia A played with fervor and discipline in an impressive bowling and fielding performance.

Australia A also showed outstanding fielding by two fantastic catches by Handscomb in the slips. Apart from India A’s yet another star opener Shreyas Iyer, none of the other batsman stood out on the occasion.   But it was all too brief as he perished to Moody starting a precession where India A lost 3 for 9 to all but end their chances of mustering a sizeable lead.

India A was saved with blistering relationship between Jayant Yadav and Shahbaz Nadeem of 36 runs.  Jayant, who has a highest First-Class score of 211, showed composure and looked unruffled until he edged Sayers behind although he was not pleased with the decision. However, India A have shown good comeback and this had built the excitement as the game head’s to Day Four. ALSO READ: Lunch Report: Joe Burns and Pete Handscomb take Australia A to 117/2

On Day Two, The hosts lost 103 for 6 in the second session after a 118-run stand between Burns and Handscomb for the third wicket looked to be putting them very much in the dominating position.  But a tight balling effort from the Indians saw the hosts tumbling early from the second session. India A are at 44 for 2 at the end of the second day’s second session with captain Pandey and Iyer at the crease. Except for Burns and Handscomb none of the Australian batsman were ablw to play to their potential. Pandya had wickets in successive overs when a miscued pull shot from Stoinis made for a simple catch at midwicket, and suddenly the Indians were back in the contest.

Handscomb loomed as their major obstacle however, with the Australia A captain in imperious form in crunching 15 fours and a six during his 93-ball stay. But his wicket – 13 short of a hundred – came in the cruellest fashion, as a mix-up with Webster while pushing for a second left the Victorian stranded mid-pitch and cursing his luck. India A bowlers did an commendable job by bouncing back strong in the second session. Hosts had dominated the first session thanks to Burns and Handscomb’s innings and same was expected from them again.

But India A bowlers stuck to their basics and got rid of the Australia wickets on regular intervals. From 117 for 2, the hosts side tumbled to 228 for 10 falling short of India A’s first innings total by mere 2 runs. Varun Aaron and Jayant remained the successful bowlers for India A as both of them got 3 wickets each. ALSO READ: Day 1 Report: AUS A hold advantage after IND A’s collapse

India A in their second innings got off to a disastrous start as they lost opener Akhil Herwadkar, Faiz Fazal early into the play. Captain Pandey and Iyer were at the crease and it will a big task for them to make sure that they end the second day on a higher note given the upper hand their bowling department has given them.

Earlier on Day One, India A won the toss and opted to bat first. India started off quite well as they ended the first session without losing any wicket. But India A lost their way a little as wickets started tumbling quickly one after the other. Worrall struck immediately after the interval, finding the edge of Herwadkar’s bat and watching Handscomb stick out his right hand at first slip to hang on to an excellent catch. Fazal was next to go, with Moody grabbing a wicket with the first ball of his second spell as the left-hander chopped on two short of his half-century.

Brief Scores:

India A 230 (Manish Pandey 77, Faiz Fazal 48; Mitchell Swepson 4 for 78, David Moody 3 for 26) and 156 (Jayant Yadav 46, Shreyas Iyer 26: Chadd Sayers 3 for 21, Daniel Worrall 3 for 43) lead Australia A 228 (Joe Burns 78, Peter Handscomb 87; Varun Aaron 3 for 41) and 59 for 4 (Cameron Bancroft 16*, Peter Handscomg 24; Shardul Thakur 2 for 14) by 100 runs