A brilliant six-wicket performance by pacer Mukesh Kumar propelled India A into contention during their first unofficial Test against Australia A in Mackay on Friday. Australia A resumed day two at 99/4, with their captain Nathan McSweeney (29*) and Cooper Connolly (14*) at the crease.
Australia A’s Struggles
The Australian side had already lost key players, including Border-Gavaskar Trophy contenders Sam Konstas (0), Cameron Bancroft (0), Marcus Harris (17), and Beau Webster (39), with Mukesh claiming two of these early wickets. His impressive spell continued as he dismissed Connolly for 37, breaking a 51-run partnership with McSweeney. Mukesh also took the wicket of Josh Philippe for just four runs.
Nitish Kumar Reddy played a vital role as well, sending McSweeney back to the pavilion for 39 runs off 131 balls, which included four boundaries. The Australian batting lineup struggled against the Indian pace attack, ultimately collapsing for a total of 195 runs.
Impressive Bowling Figures
Mukesh’s exceptional figures stood at six wickets for 46 runs in 18.4 overs. Supporting him, Prasidh Krishna contributed with 3/59 in his 18 overs, while Nitish secured one wicket. This collective effort from the bowlers left Australia A with an 88-run lead over India A, who had been bowled out for a mere 107 runs in their first innings.
Batting Highlights for India A
In India’s first innings, Devdutt Padikkal top-scored with 36 runs off 77 balls, hitting two fours. Sai Sudharsan chipped in with 21 runs from 35 balls, while Navdeep Saini added 23 runs off 42 balls, including two fours and a six. However, India A’s batting performance was largely underwhelming.
On the other hand, Brendan Doggett emerged as the standout bowler for Australia A, taking 6 wickets for just 15 runs in 11 overs. Jordan Buckingham picked up two wickets, while Todd Murphy and Fergus O’Neill contributed with one wicket each.
India A’s Second Innings
Currently, India A is batting in their second innings, looking to build a significant lead and improve their position in the match. Mukesh Kumar’s stellar performance has provided them with a glimmer of hope, and the team will be eager to capitalize on this momentum. With the bowling attack performing strongly, the focus will now shift to the batsmen to deliver a more robust performance and challenge Australia A effectively.
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