KL Rahul, Sudharsan power India A to 1-0 series win against Australia A

When Team India opener KL Rahul and pacer Mohd Siraj were drafted in the India A side for the second four-day unofficial Test early this month by Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel, the intention was to give them match time before the two-Test home series against the West Indies starting in Ahmedabad on October 2.

Some others like keeper-batter Narayan Jagadeesan, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, keeper-batter Dhruv Jurel and pacer Prasidh Krishna were already there in the first Test itself before being picked for the series against the West Indies.

However, everybody made full use of the opportunity well in both the matches to be match ready, and key batters of Team India KL Rahul, Sai Sudarshan and Dhruv Jurel turned out to be star performers on Friday to help India A win the two-match series by 1-0 after inflicting a convincing five-wicket win over Australia A, at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium here.

While Rahul and Sudarshan smacked sparkling centuries, Jurel struck an almost run-a-ball half-century to wrap up the game minutes before the tea break on the final day on Friday after India A resumed at the overnight score of 169/2 while chasing 412.

Rahul, who had retired on 74 on Thursday due to fever, was back in action after nightwatchman Manav Suthar was bowled by Todd Murphy on Friday, and completed the formality in style, hitting an unbeaten 176 in 210 balls with the help of 16 boundaries and four sixes.

In fact, Rahul took 43 balls to complete his 100 while hitting a boundary off Cory Rocchiccioli in the long off area, and after crossing the three-figure mark, he became ruthless to Australia A bowlers as he took 73 balls to score the remaining 76 runs with the help of five boundaries and four sixes.

A consistent performer in the series, Sai Sudharsan gave him full support in the middle as the two added 78 runs. Sai, who was on 38 last night, too played his part nicely, hitting 170-ball 100 with the help of nine boundaries and a six before being caught by Campbell off Rocchiccioli.

This didn’t impact India A’s run chase as Rahul was then joined by skipper Jurel, who struck five boundaries and three sixes in his 65-ball 56. In the process, the duo added 115 in quick time as their stand required just under 19 overs. And in the end another face of the Team India for the West Indies series, Nitish Kumar Reddy was giving company to Rahul with an unbeaten 16, which included three boundaries.

Barring Toss Murphy and Rocchiccioli, no other Australia A bowlers could show any courage before the top batters of Team India even though the visitors used as many as seven bowlers to bowl 91.3 overs in the second innings.

Now, the action between the two sides moves to Green Park Stadium in Kanpur when Shreyas Iyer-led India A take on Cooper Connolly-led Australia A in the three-match one-day (d/n) series starting September 30. The other two games will be played on October 3 and 5.

BRIEF SCORES

India A 194 (S Sudharsan 75, H Thornton 4/36, T Murphy 2-48) and 413/5 (KL Rahul 176*, S Sudharsan 100, D Jurel 56, T Murphy 3/114) beat Australia A 420 (J Edwards 88, T Murphy 76, M Suthar 5/107) and 185 (N McSweeney 85*, G Brar 3/42, M Suthar 3/50) by five wickets.