Day 2 of the first unofficial Test between India A and Australia A at Lucknow belonged to two wicketkeepers. One who once wore RCB’s red in the IPL, and another who continues to pile up runs on the domestic circuit. Josh Philippe’s blistering century put Australia A in command before Narayan Jagadeesan guided India’s reply with his usual composure.
Philippe’s counterattack lights up Lucknow
Josh Philippe, the former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter, produced a counterattacking masterclass. Dropped early on 26, he made India A pay heavily, racing to a century in just 80 balls. He used his feet well against spin, mixing sweeps and reverse sweeps with clean lofted strokes.
His unbeaten 123* off 87 deliveries, laced with 18 fours and four sixes, came at a strike rate more suited to white-ball cricket than a four-day game. Partnerships with Liam Scott (81) and Xavier Bartlett (39*) swelled Australia A’s total to a massive 532/6 before they declared at lunch.
Jagadeesan carries India’s reply
With a mountain to climb, India A needed solidity at the top. Openers Abhimanyu Easwaran and Jagadeesan provided just that in an 88-run stand. Easwaran looked fluent for his 44 before dragging one onto the stumps off Liam Scott’s delivery, but Jagadeesan remained steady, reaching a fluent half-century before rain washed away play in the final session. After scoring 197 and 52 in the Duleep Trophy, N Jagadeesan has continued to pile up runs. He would love another triple-digit score for India A.
At stumps, India A were 116/1, still trailing by 416 runs. Sai Sudharsan, who joined Jagadeesan after Easwaran’s dismissal, looked positive in his short stay, striking his first boundary against Todd Murphy. But steady drizzle in the afternoon ensured early stumps, denying the home side any chance to build further momentum. With two days left, Jagadeesan’s rich vein of form and the powerhouses like Shreyas Iyer, Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel still waiting in the wings, this match is far from over.
