IND A vs AUS A 2nd Unofficial Test Today Match Live Cricket Score Highlights Check Here

India A vs Australia A (IND A vs AUS A) LIVE Cricket Score Card HIGHLIGHTS: The second unofficial Test between India A and Australia A got underway at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday. We take you through the major highlights from Day 1:

Scores at Stumps – Day 1: Australia 53/2 (17.1), India A 161 all out

Dhruv Jurel stands tall

India wicket-keeper Dhruv Jurel has rose through the pecking order over the 12 months. While he has yet to play a Test since his debut series against England earlier this year, Jurel exhibited his skills perfectly on a challenging MCG deck. Replacing Ishan Kishan in the XI, Jurel walked in with India A reeling at 11 for four. There was still job to be done against the new ball – facing Neser and Boland – and Jurel took to the task with assured footwork and some solid nurdling from the other end by Devdutt Padikkal. The pair waded India A to Lunch but Padikkal fell soon after with the scores at 65/5.

Jurel adeptly picked up the gears as he drove, flicked, hooked and pulled the seamers with solidity. A massive six over backward square-leg off Scott Boland propelled Jurel to his second successive FC fifty for India A in his first innings on Aussie shores. It took him 118 balls to get there and Jurel unfurled a few more eye-catching strokes to make 80 (186) of India’s 161-run total. The youngster from Uttar Pradesh may have just done enough to start for India at Perth, even as a specialist batter at No. 6.

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Heser picks four but injury stalls Test call-up hopes

Australia A bowler Michael Neser’s hopes of a Test recall have been dampened by a hamstring injury sustained during a match in Melbourne. The 35-year-old fast bowler, who nearly achieved a hat-trick in the opening over, was forced to leave the field after bowling 12.3 overs and registering impressive figures 4/27. Neser had recently hurt the same hamstring last month, forcing him to miss a One-Day Cup match for Queensland.

KL Rahul fails litmus Test, Easwaran flounders again

KL Rahul’s early summer challenge ended tepidly when he was castled by Scott Boland in only three balls into the second over. Rahul has been pushed back to the top of the order with Rohit Sharma set to miss India’s opening Test. Rahul’s blip did not benefit Abhimanyu Easwaran, the other contender for the opening slot, as he fell for a four-ball duck in the first over. Easwaran, who entered the Australia tour on the back of superb scoring form in domestic cricket, has failed to live upto expectations in the series. The duck followed scores of 7 and 12 in the previous game. But more concerningly, Easwaran’s technique came under the scanner as he attempt to wriggle out of a short-pitched delivery from Neser, only to send it lobbing to the slip-cordon.

A top-order jolt

After being sent into bat, India A suffered yet another batting collapse on Thursday morning as Australia’s rejuvenated bowling attack led by Test bowlers Michael Neser and Scott Boland wreaked havoc. India lost their top four batters within 16 balls to the moving Kookaburra on a bouncy deck. The situation was similar to the start India A had in the previous four-day game in Mackay, where they were left reeling at 32/3 in the first innings of an eventual seven-wicket defeat.

Squads

AUS A XI: Marcus Harris, Sam Konstas, Cameron Bancroft, Nathan McSweeney (c), Beau Webster, Oliver Davies, Jimmy Peirson (wk), Michael Neser, Nathan McAndrew, Scott Boland, Corey Rocchiccioli.

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IND A XI: Abhimanyu Easwaran, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Sai Sudharsan, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Nitish Reddy, Tanush Kotian, Khaleel Ahmed, Prasidh Krishna, Mukesh Kumar.

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