A blazing hundred from Prabhsimran Singh and composed half-centuries by Shreyas Iyer and Riyan Parag powered India A to a thrilling two-wicket win over Australia A in the third unofficial ODI at Green Park, Kanpur, sealing the series 2-1.
Chasing a stiff 318, India A reached their target in 46 overs, displaying fearless batting depth and calm under pressure.
Australia A, who opted to bat first, were rocked early by Arshdeep Singh's fiery new-ball burst. The left-arm pacer removed both openers - Jake Fraser-McGurk and Mackenzie Harvey - within the first five overs, leaving the visitors wobbling at 22 for 2. Harshit Rana then joined the act with a double strike, including the dismissal of promising left-hander Harry Dixon.
From a precarious 44 for
4, the middle order pulled Australia A back into the contest through Cooper Connolly's counterattacking 64 off 49 balls, studded with four sixes. He forged a vital stand with wicketkeeper Lachlan Shaw (32), followed by a brisk partnership between skipper Jack Edwards and all-rounder Liam Scott. Edwards led from the front with an authoritative 89 from 74 balls, mixing elegant strokeplay with power hitting. Scott complemented him with an excellent 73 off 64, propelling the total past 300. Despite that resurgence, Arshdeep (3/38) and Harshit Rana (3/61) returned to polish off the tail, restricting Australia A to 317 in 49.1 overs.
India A's chase began explosively as Abhishek Sharma struck a quick 22 before perishing to Todd Murphy. The spotlight, however, firmly belonged to Prabhsimran Singh, who launched a breathtaking assault on the Australian bowlers. The wicketkeeper-batter smashed 102 from just 68 balls, including eight boundaries and seven sixes, setting the tone for India's approach. His cameo was followed by captain Shreyas Iyer's assured 62, anchoring the innings through middle overs.
Riyan Parag maintained the momentum with another fluent 62 off 55 balls, peppered with five fours and three maximums, pushing the hosts closer to victory. A mini-collapse in the later stages - triggered by Tanveer Sangha (4/72) and Todd Murphy (4/42) - added drama, reducing India A from 275 for 5 to 301 for 8. But young all-rounder Vipraj Nigam (24* off 32) and Arshdeep Singh (7* off 4) held their nerve to complete the chase with 24 balls to spare.
