IND-A vs AUS-A, 1st unofficial Test Day 3: Padikkal, Kushagra set up final day victory push for India A
FILE PHOTO: Devdutt Padikkal learnt from his mistake in the first innings and played with soft hands, thus surviving countless edges and half-chances through his 88-ball 57. | Photo Credit: R RAGU
FILE PHOTO: Devdutt Padikkal learnt from his mistake in the first innings and played with soft hands, thus surviving countless edges and half-chances through his 88-ball 57. | Photo Credit: R RAGU
Devdutt Padikkal (59, 88b, 7x4) and Kumar Kushagra (46 n.o., 59b, 4x4, 2x6) did the heavy lifting on a treacherous third-day wicket, leaving India-A holding all cards against Australia-A in the first unofficial Test at the Siechem Cricket Stadium in Puducherry on Thursday.
Their effort stretched India-A’s lead and set Australia-A a target of 363 runs. Nathan McSweeney dropped anchor in the final session as the visitor finished on 55 for two, but batting out the final day to get the remaining 308 runs still seemed an improbable task.
Padikkal joined B. Sai Sudharsan (39, 85b, 3x4) in the seventh over of the innings, and their 68-run partnership for the second wicket was the highest association through the entire day.
Sudharsan got going with a crisp punch past mid-off against Fergus O’Neill but a major part of his stay was about surviving the perilously uneven bounce offered to the tweakers. Padikkal learnt from his mistake in the first innings and played with soft hands, thus surviving countless edges and half-chances through his 88-ball 57.
In the 35th over, Rocchiccioli extracted his edge off consecutive deliveries only for the first one to not carry to second slip and the second to dissect the two cordon fielders.
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But irony would not have been lost on Sudharsan after he smothered every misbehaving delivery that jumped off the surface but was struck in front attempting a sweep off a regulation over-pitched delivery from Murphy.
Yash Rathod and Shaik Rasheed once again failed to impress, with the former castled off a seaming delivery from Scott and Rasheed caught & bowled off Jason Sangha.
Padikkal was deft against the pacers too, as he glided successive deliveries from Liam Scott behind square to reach his fifty off 72 balls. He wanted a change in approach when attempted an on-sided heave against Scott, but missed the line and got pinned in front.
Barring a nip-backer from Scott that took his inside edge and raced away to the fence, Kushagra had a hold over proceedings and missed out on a fifty only because he ran out of partners.
He realised the slipping opportunity and began accelerating, slapping Doggett through point for four. He charged down to Murphy and planted maximums over long-on and long-off off successive deliveries, but that was the last of his assault as India-A lost its final six wickets for just 48 runs.
Sam Konstas and McSweeney putting up 47 runs for the second wicket must have lifted spirits in the visiting camp. But as Konstas perished on a botched up sweep shot, trapped in front by Tanush Kotian, minutes before close of play, Australia-A would have left feeling the heat again.
Published on Sep 24, 2026
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