Melbourne
India A faced a challenging start in their second unofficial Test against Australia A at Melbourne Cricket Ground. On Day 1 on Thursday, Dhruv Jurel’s resilient 80 was the standout performance as India A struggled with early batting collapses and a fierce Australian pace attack.
Scores at Stumps, Day 1, Australia A: 53/2 (17.1 overs), India A: 161 all out
Wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel impressed with a gritty 80 off 186 balls, stabilizing India A’s innings after they stumbled to 11/4. Batting with solid technique against a hostile bowling attack, Jurel anchored the innings, reaching his second First-Class fifty and steering India A to 161.
Australian pacer Michael Neser was on fire, claiming four wickets for just 27 runs. His impressive spell included nearly a hat-trick, but his momentum was halted due to a hamstring injury after 12.3 overs.
KL Rahul and Abhimanyu Easwaran, vying for a Test opening slot, struggled under pressure. Rahul fell for just four runs, while Easwaran was dismissed for a four-ball duck, raising questions about their readiness for the upcoming series.
India A: Abhimanyu Easwaran, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Sai Sudharsan, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Nitish Reddy, Tanush Kotian, Khaleel Ahmed, Prasidh Krishna, Mukesh Kumar
Australia A: Marcus Harris, Sam Konstas, Cameron Bancroft, Nathan McSweeney (c), Beau Webster, Oliver Davies, Jimmy Peirson (wk), Michael Neser, Nathan McAndrew, Scott Boland, Corey Rocchiccioli
