India A suffered a dramatic collapse on Day 2 against Australia A at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow, on Wednesday, September 24. The visitors’ bowlers dominated from the outset, leaving the hosts struggling to recover.
The Aussies batted first and posted a commanding total of 420 in their first innings. Todd Murphy led the charge with a brilliant 76 off 89 balls, featuring 12 boundaries and a six. India A’s batting faltered under pressure. The hosts opened
with KL Rahul and Narayan Jagadeesan, and the Indian team opener was dismissed cheaply for 11, while Jagadeesan offered some resistance with 38 before falling to Henry Thornton.
The middle order crumbled quickly as Devdutt Padikkal, captain Dhruv Jurel, and Nitish Kumar Reddy each fell for just one run. Ayush Badoni contributed 21 runs, but Manav Suthar was dismissed for a duck. Prasidh Krishna retired hurt on 16 and was substituted by Yash Thakur under the concussion substitute rule.
The lower order struggled as well, with wickets tumbling for single-digit scores. However, Sai Sudharsan stood out, anchoring the innings with a resilient 75 from 140 balls, including six boundaries and a six. Australia A’s Henry Thornton claimed 4 for 36, while Murphy picked up 2 for 48. Will Sutherland, Corey Rocchiccioli, and Cooper Connolly each chipped in with a wicket.
Australia A lost three wickets quickly in their second innings, slipping to 16 for 3, with skipper Nathan McSweeney unbeaten on 11. In Australia A’s second innings, India A bowlers offered some resistance. Mohammed Siraj, Gurnoor Brar, and Manav Suthar each took a wicket, but the visitors maintained a healthy lead of 242 runs.
The hosts' innings showed flashes of fight, particularly through Sudharsan, but overall they faltered against disciplined bowling. On Day 3, Australia A will look to capitalize, aiming to extend their lead further and put India A back in to bat under pressure. India A, meanwhile, will need to regroup and rebuild their innings if they hope to stay competitive in the match.
