Manav Suthar has a 5th five-wicket haul of his first-class career against Australia A. The left-arm spinner replaced Harsh Dubey for the second unofficial Test at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow and showed his mettle straightaway. In what was a disappointing day for other India A bowlers, Suthar stood out.
After winning the toss, Dhruv Jurel opted to field. Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Ayush Badoni were brought into the side, replacing Shreyas Iyer, Tanush Kotian, Khaleel Ahmed, and Abhimanyu Easwaran.
Manav Suthar spins web around Australia A
Prasidh Krishna struck in the fourth over, getting Campbell Kellaway caught in the slips, but Australia A took charge from there on. It wasn’t until the 31st over that India A struck again. Mohammed Siraj, who hadn’t played since leading from the front at Oval against England, dismissed Sam Konstas for 49 to bring India A back into the game.
From there, Suthar took charge. Five of the next six wickets were taken by the spinner from Rajasthan. These scalps included international cricketers such as Cooper Connolly, Will Sutherland, and Josh Philippe. Suthar had them 214/6, but Jack Edwards bailed them out with his 88.
Siraj & Prasidh Krishna disappoint
Australia’s A captain, Nathan McSweeney, was the only other batter to score a fifty, and he, along with Edward, was dismissed by Gurnoor Brar. Siraj and Prasidh managed to take one wicket each, but neither was economical. Brar took leaked runs. Among the three pacers, Prasidh provided the most control, and he went at 4.50 runs per over. Siraj ended with a 5.60 economy, while Brar was at 5.50.
Nitish Reddy back
Perhaps the best outcome from the first day was that Nitish Kumar Reddy returned to competitive cricket. The all-rounder hadn’t played since July due to a knee injury. He not only returned but also bowled 8 overs. This bodes well for India and Nitish, considering the West Indies series begins on October 2.
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