The India A vs Australia A 1st unofficial Test has ended in a draw. After four run-scoring days, the two teams shook hands at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. The biggest talking point of the game wasn’t about the match but rather about no live coverage.
In an era where the term ‘scorecard merchant’ is used to mock those cricket fans who judge players based on how their figures look in past or current matches, everyone became a scorecard merchant. But one thing was certain: the surface was a batting-friendly one. 255.1 overs were bowled over 4 days, and just 13 wickets fell. That’s 117 per wicket or 19.3 overs.
Prasidh Krishna struggles
Bowling was tough. Prasidh Krishna and Tanush Kotian found that out. Neither took a wicket in the match but went for runs. Considering Prasidh was one of India’s frontline pacers in England, his non-performance doesn’t bode well with the West Indies Test series starting in about two weeks. Control was an issue for Prasidh in England, and it remains so now, albeit on a flat pitch.
Harsh Dubey got the most wickets for India, 3. Harnoor Brar was the most economical bowler, but even he went at 4.60 runs per over in the first innings. That just shows how good a batting track this was. Sam Konstas, who’d scored just 50 runs in 6 innings against the West Indies, got a hundred. Josh Philippe reached triple figures as well.
Shreyas Iyer fails; Jurel makes Test case
But the Indian batters weren’t far behind. Abhimanyu Easwaran, N Jagadeesan, and Sai Sudharsan all got starts but didn’t register a hundred. The latter two did score fifties. Devdutt Padikkal scored a great 150, while Shreyas Iyer was the only batter to get a single-digit score.
Given Sarfaraz Khan’s injury and his record in the last Ranji Trophy season, a Test comeback door was opening for Shreyas but failure against Australia A and in the Duleep Trophy could mean that the 30-year-old remains out of contention for now.
Dhruv Jurel, who played as a backup for Rishabh Pant in England, made a solid case to play at number six against the West Indies. Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan had batted at that spot, but neither got the desired results. Jurel, who scored a fifty in each of the four innings against England A earlier in the year, did well against Australia A in Australia as well.
He’s been knocking at the Test door for a while, but Pant’s return from injury has unfortunately kept him out. But now, Jurel’s showing that he’s good enough to make a selection case, just as a batter. With even Pant unconfirmed for the West Indies Tests, his incredible form is a great sign for Shubman Gill’s young Indian team.
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