Batters help India A win series by 2-1
KANPUR, Oct. 6 -- Opener Prabhsimran Singh smacked a sparkling century while skipper Shreyas Iyer and Riyan Parag struck crucial half centuries to help India A notch up a thrilling two-wicket win over Australia A to win the three-match unofficial one-day series by 2-1 here on Sunday before a huge gathering at the Green Park Stadium.
Chasing Australia A's 316, India A reached home in 46 overs as keeper-batter Prabhsimran struck 68-ball 102 with the help of eight boundaries and seven sixes and set the stage of teams' victory while adding 83 runs for the opening wicket with Asia Cup hero Abhishek Sharma (22, 25b, 2x4).
Tilak Varma, who scored a fine 94 in the previous match, was trapped in front of the wicket by Todd Murphy only after scoring just three, but this didn't make any difference to India A's run chase as Singh and along with Iyer kept striking the ball hard as the two stitched together 56 runs for the third wicket before Singh being caught by Will Sutherland off Tanveer Sangha after making 68-ball 102 with the help of eight fours and seven sixes.
By the time Iyer (62, 58b, 7x4, 1x6) and Riyan Parag (62, 55b, 5x4, 3x6) departed in quick succession after adding 117 runs for the fourth wicket, India A were well within the winning target but three quick wickets thereafter put India a in a spot of bother to some extent thereafter.
However, local boy Vipraj Nigam (24, 32b, 2x4, 1x6) along with Arshdeep Singh (7, 4b, 1x6) added unbeaten 21 runs to take the side home in a thriller. Two spinners Todd Murphy (4/42) and Tanveer Sangha (4/72) bowled well.
Earlier, Australia A produced a gritty comeback to post a commanding total of 316 runs in 49.1 overs against India A after an early collapse threatened to derail their innings while batting first after winning the toss.
Led by a composed 89 from captain Jack Edwards, solid support from Liam Scott (73) and a blazing 64 from Cooper Connolly, the visitors turned a shaky start into a formidable total. India A's bowlers, especially Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, began brightly exploiting early movement with the new ball. Arshdeep struck twice in quick succession, removing openers Jake Fraser-McGurk and Mackenzie Harvey cheaply.
Harshit then built on the pressure, dismissing Harry Dixon and Lachlan Hearne as Australia A stumbled to 44/4 inside eight overs. At that point, India A looked firmly in control. However, Connolly's fearless stroke play changed the momentum. The left-hander played aggressively, hitting five boundaries and four sixes during his quickfire 64 off 49 balls.
Alongside Lachlan Shaw (32), he lifted the visitors out of immediate danger with critical counter-attacking partnerships through the middle overs. Once Connolly departed, captain Jack Edwards took command of the innings, displaying calculated aggression and sound technique, Edwards anchored one end and accelerated perfectly during the final phase.
His 75-ball 89 included eight fours and three sixes, as he formed a match-defining partnership of 152 runs with Liam Scott, who was equally impressive with his 64-ball 73 that contained six towering sixes. The duo's efforts turned the innings decisively, taking Australia A from 135/6 to 287/7 before Edwards fell in the 45th over.
Even after his dismissal, Scott ensured that the team crossed the 300-run mark - a significant recovery given their early collapse. For India A, Arshdeep Singh took 3/38, whereas Harshit Rana (3/61) and Ayush Badoni (2/31) also did well....
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