IND A vs AUS A, 1st unofficial Test: McSweeney, Webster steer Australia A to comfortable win over India A
Needing just 86 runs to win on the final day of play, Australia A made light work of the chase, finishing off the chase within 22 overs not losing a single wicket in the process.
Published : Nov 03, 2024 09:27 IST , Chennai - 2 MINS READ
Nathan McSweeney of Australia A plays a shot to score the match winning runs during day four of the match between Australia A and India A at Great Barrier Reef Arena. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Skipper Nathan McSweeney scored an unbeaten 88 and stitched a century partnership with Beau Webster to help Australia A to a comfortable seven-wicket win over India A at Mackay, Queensland on Sunday.
Needing just 86 runs to win on the final day of play, Australia A made light work of the chase, finishing off the chase within 22 overs not losing a single wicket in the process.
The day began on a controversial note, with the umpires changing the ball, a decision that the visiting team wasn’t happy with. Wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan was reportedly booked for dissent following the altercation, which he labelled as a ‘stupid decision’. Cricket Australia later clarified that the ball was changed due to ‘deterioration’ and that no action was taken against Kishan.
After play resumed, the two batters continued to pile on the runs, rotating strike at regular intervals to prevent India A from putting any pressure on the batters to force a batting collapse.
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After the opening burst from Prasidh Krishna and Navdeep Saini proved ineffective, captain Ruturaj Gaikwad turned to Manav Suthar to try to prise out a wicket with spin.
Despite Gaikwad setting attack fields with a short leg and a short 45 in place on the legside there was nothing in the pitch to trouble the batters.
With the run-scoring continuing at a steady rate, India A used the opportunity to give a few overs to second-innings centurion and part-timer Sai Sudharsan.
The 23-year-old conceded 34 runs in his six-over spell as McSweeney and Webster put away the short-length deliveries by the spinner to the fielders stationed at the boundary to rotate strike with ease and scale down the target.