IND-A vs AUS-A: Australia A Fall One Wicket Short as India A Survive Thriller

The finish could hardly have been more dramatic. Australia A dominated India A for most of the thrilling second unofficial Test in Puducherry. They were one wicket away from sealing the win and levelling the series, but an 18-ball last-wicket resistance from Praful Hinge and Nachiket Bhute ensured that their Vidarbha team-mate Yash Rathod’s gritty effort of 80 and Tushar Deshpande’s 52 did not go in vain.

A total of 337 runs were needed to win on the final day with nine wickets in hand. India A had a mountain to climb on a very challenging wicket that assisted both spinners and pacers throughout the game.

India A’s first-innings total of 167 did not inspire much confidence, as the hosts had to bat in the fourth innings. That is why this draw will please the India A camp, given the position they were in by the end of the final day.

Rathod deserves a lot of credit. He had a disappointing Duleep Trophy and three failures in the two-match series against Australia A, scoring poorly in his first three innings. The southpaw, however, retained his belief in himself and his abilities, which is why he finished the series on a high with a top-scoring effort for his team.

For a batter who averages over 55 in first-class cricket, Rathod had a point to prove. With members of the selection committee in attendance, the left-hander showed that he has a strong game against spin. Rathod is regarded as one of the better players of spin in domestic cricket. Against the in-form Australia off-spin duo of Todd Murphy and Corey Rocchiccioli, the challenge was significant, but Rathod was equally up for it.

Nightwatchman Deshpande gave Australia A nightmares by playing out 119 balls for his fifty. It was an innings in which Deshpande looked like a proper batter.

Every ball and every contribution from the India A players counted on the final day as the game went down to the wire.

Shams Mulani, who bagged the Player of the Series award, supported him well with the bat. The Mumbai cricketer proved that, along with being a wicket-taker with the ball, he is more than a handy batter in red-ball cricket.

Even though he did not score much in the series, India A captain Devdutt Padikkal would be pleased with the way the uncapped players fared.

Brief scores: Australia A 358 & 173/4 dec. drew with India A 167 & 310/9 (Yash Rathod 80, Tushar Deshpande 52; Liam Scott 5-37). Match drawn.

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