IND-A vs AUS-A 2nd One-Day: Konstas, Philippe lead Aussies to win, Patidar’s resistance goes in vain

Sam Konstas registered his maiden List A half-century to guide Australia A to a win. | Photo Credit: Cricket Association of Pondicherry

For the second match in a row, Rajat Patidar’s lone fight went in vain as India A lost the second one-day to Australia A by 69 runs at the Cricket Association Pondicherry Siechem Ground in Puducherry on Friday.

The Madhya Pradesh batter held firm through the middle overs (67, 82b, 3x4, 1x6) to keep the host in contention in the chase of 276, but once he fell, the challenge withered away. India A was eventually bowled out for 206, to hand the visitor an unassailable 2-0 series lead.

After choosing to bat in the morning, Australia A started briskly, with Mitchell Owen collecting 17 in Arshad Khan’s first over. With no movement on offer, the opener could easily play his big shots across the line. A smart slower ball from Yash Thakur cut short his cameo on 25.

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Sam Konstas and Josh Philippe managed to get their feet in after the early wicket. The duo manipulated the field placements well to pick up boundaries fairly regularly. Thakur handed Philippe a lifeline on 27, and he cashed in with a half-century. The 101-run second-wicket stand was broken when the wicketkeeper pulled a short ball from Nishant Sindhu straight down the throat of skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad.

Konstas’s measured innings took him to his maiden List-A half-century, but he too perished soon after, top-edging an Arshad delivery. Nathan McSweeney continued from where he left off in the previous game, scoring risk-free runs before a miscalculated second run proved costly. The older ball proved difficult to score off as the innings progressed. Wickets fell in heaps as the lower order searched for quick runs, and the side was eventually bowled out for 275 on the penultimate ball.

If brute pace dismissed the India A openers in the first one-dayer, the lack of it proved fatal this time round. Devdutt Padikkal’s attempted guide went straight to third-man’s hands while B. Sai Sudharsan once again gloved a short ball to the ‘keeper. Skipper Gaikwad treated the fans, who braved the sun to fill the stands, to three sumptuous cover drives before a diving catch at deep backward point brought his innings to a sudden halt.

Patidar stitched crucial partnerships with the middle order, hoping to take the game deep. But he mistimed a pull shot off Spencer Johnson straight to deep square leg to fall for 67. Sam Konstas mimicked the ‘kill’ celebration after holding onto the catch, moving his thumb across his neck to signal the end of India A’s chances. And that proved to be true as the host fell comfortably short of the target.

Brief Scores: Australia A 275 all out in 49.5 overs (Sam Konstas 67, Josh Philippe 58, Arshad 3/56) beat India A 206 all out in 45.2 overs (Rajat Patidar 67, Johnson 3/35)