India vs Australia A: Three-day Practice game ends in a draw, lots of positives for visitors

Openers, Vihari, Pant, Shami and Bumrah had a good hit-out with the pink-ball before first test takes off in Adelaide in four days time


India vs Australia A

Shami provided two early strikes before Ben McDermott and Jack Wildermuth took the day with centuries | BCCI

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Edited By

Anshul Gupta

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DNA Web Desk

Updated: Dec 13, 2020, 10:25 PM IST

Australia A came back with a strong reply on the final of the three-day tour game against India after an assault launched by the visitors on the second day.

India declared on their overnight score of 386/4 and gave their bowlers full day to have a hit-out against the Australian A batsmen, who had a mountain of 473 to climb.

Shami was the star again with the ball as he didn't waste much time before removing both the openers, increasing Australia's opening conundrum with two potential openers ruled out of injuries and Joes Burns being woefully out of form.

Australia A were 11/2 in just the 9th over as India threatened to take the game away from the inexperienced Australian side. Nic Maddinsontried to hang around for a bit but wasn't successful as he was dismissed by Mohammed Siraj in the 12th over of the innings.

Ben McDermott and skipper Alex Carey ensure there were no more hiccups in the first session and played classy innings to defy the Indian bowling attack.

Both mixed and matched the aggression and defense to stitch a well-compiled 100-run partnership. Just as Carey looked good for a long innings, Hanuma Vihari cut short his stay when he tried to play a stroke over mid-on fielder's head, but it went straight into his hands.

All-rounder Jack Widermuth joined McDermott and the duo fiested on the tiredness of the Indian bowlers. Shami and Bumrah didn't bowl long spells after that and Navdeep Saini wasn't effective at all.

India also used part-time spin bowling Mayank Agarwal and Prithvi Shaw, but both didn't looked like giving any trouble to the pair as both smashed their centuries and the match ended on a draw.

What Probable India XI looks like for Adelaide Test

India will feel they had ample practice in these two games before the Test series begins as bowlers had good days and hundreds from Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari and Rishabh Pant must have brought a lot of relief and satisfaction for them.

Since Shami and Bumrah are certainties, Umesh Yadav put his hand up for the third pacer's spot in absence of Ishant Sharma. 

Siraj bowled well in patches and could be considered if India goes with four pacers, while Saini looked out of sorts especially in the second innings.

As for batting, Prithvi Shaw's struggles continued as he was unable to curb his aggressive instinct against the moving ball and returned with low scores and that might have cost him his place in the first test.

Mayank Agarwal came good in the second innings with a 61 and it would have done a lot of good to his confidence, while Shubman Gill's strokeplay was a treat to watch during his innings of 65 (78) in the second innings of this game.

Gill with that innings might just have pipped his U-19 skipper to be the frontrunner to play the day-night game in Adelaide.

Rishabh Pant too announced his arrival with a smashing 73-ball century and he too might have put his name ahead of other wicket-keeper in the squad, Wriddhiman Saha.

Piling injuries and form concerns with the Hosts

As for the Australians, the piling injuries have not helped either. David Warner's ouster due to his groin injury put focus on the two games as an ausition for who will start as the two opening batsmen in the XI.

Will Pucovski got hit on the head and has been ruled out of the first Test due to concussion, while all-rounder Cameron Green too suffered a blow on his head and faces a race against time to be fit for the game starting Thursday.

With both the first-choice openers not available, Australia added Marcus Harris to the squad and are still searching for the second with Joe Burns' lost touch not helping their cause.

Mitchell Starc's rejoining will surely come as a good news but questions remain on his participation as he will get just a couple of days to prepare for the game.

The four-match series begins at the Adelaide Oval with a day-night clash, which will the first for India away from home.