Indian pace spearhead Mohammed Siraj once again grabbed attention with a stellar performance in the second unofficial Test between India A and Australia
A on Tuesday, September 23, at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
With regular captain Shreyas Iyer unavailable due to personal reasons, India A skipper Dhruv Jurel won the toss and opted to field first. The home side began their bowling attack with Siraj and Prasidh Krishna. Early breakthroughs came through Krishna, who dismissed Australian opener Campbell Kellaway for just nine runs, giving the hosts an early boost in the second and final match.
Australia A’s Konstas and skipper Nathan McSweeney then steadied the innings, putting together a crucial 86-run partnership for the second wicket. However, Siraj struck at the right moment, breaking the stand by dismissing Konstas for 49 runs off 91 balls, which included seven boundaries. The right-arm pacer’s delivery carried to wicketkeeper Jurel, and Konstas walked back to the pavilion just shy of a half-century.
India A made several changes to the playing XI for this match. KL Rahul, Siraj, and Nitish Kumar Reddy were included to prepare for the upcoming two-match Test series in Ahmedabad starting October 2. These three were last seen during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, which ended in a 2-2 draw. The inclusion of these players aims to help them regain match rhythm and sharpen their skills ahead of the home series against the Caribbean side. Manav Suthar was also added to the playing XI, a like-for-like replacement to all-rounder Harsh Dubey.
The Australian side also made a few adjustments to their combination, bringing in Jack Edwards, Will Sutherland, and Henry Thornton to strengthen their side. Konstas, who was in fine form in the first unofficial Test with a century and a 27-run innings in the second, is under consideration for the Ashes and will need to maintain his momentum on this tour.
The first unofficial Test had ended in a high-scoring draw due to incessant rains in the city of Lucknow, while runs flowing freely from both sides. Both teams now aim to secure a result in this second encounter, keeping in mind the broader goal of giving their players crucial match practice ahead of upcoming international fixtures.
