Kushagra hundred, Mulani four-for put India A in command against Australia A

India A gained a vice-like grip on proceedings in Puducherry, rolling Australia A over for 171 at stumps on day two after Kumar Kushagra's hundred had carried the hosts to 334.

After retiring hurt on 82 due to cramps on day one, Kushagra returned to bat and completed his century, helping India A stretch their overnight total of 257 for 5 to 334. Seamers Anshul Kamboj and Tushar Deshpande made early inroads for India A before left-arm spinner Shams Mulani cut through the middle order with a four-wicket haul. Offspinner Tanush Kotian also pitched in two wickets, helping India A earn a sizeable lead of 163.

Mulani and Kotian upstaged Todd Murphy and Corey Rocchiccioli who had shared seven wickets between them for Australia A.

In a portent for what could follow in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy next year, Mulani and Kotian confounded Australia A's batters with turn or lack thereof on a mixed-soil surface that seemed to offer more assistance to the slower bowlers on day two.

Peter Handscomb, the Australia A captain who could be in the running for a comeback during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, responded to a scoreline of 20 for 2 with a pulled four off India A debutant Praful Hinge but was less certain against Mulani. After the spinner extracted some turn, he darted in an arm ball, which skidded off the surface and had Handscomb jabbing hastily on the back foot. But the ball zipped through and knocked out the middle stump, sending Handscomb back for 8. It was a reminder of how hard it is to budget for natural variation.

Jason Sangha briefly countered spin with his variety of sweeps before a reverse-sweep off Mulani cut his innings short on 46 off 64 balls. Mulani found more overspin and had Sangha splicing a catch to his Mumbai team-mate Kotian at point.

Liam Scott, the Sheffield Shield Player of the Year 2025-26, flickered briefly with a sequence of 4,4 and 6 against Kotian before Mulani snagged him. A ball tossed up on middle, turned and bounced to snag the outside edge through to the keeper standing up to the stumps. Mulani also claimed the wicket of Murphy to finish with figures of 18-3-67-4.

Kotian, who was held back until the 30th over, didn't take too long to get among the wickets. In his second over, he had an advancing Josh Phillippe chipping a leading edge to mid-off and wrapped up the Australia A innings in the 56th over by bursting through the defences of Brendon Doggett.

Seamers Kamboj, Deshpande and Hinge were disciplined with the new ball as well as the older one. For Australia A, Sangha was the only batter to pass 30. Sam Konstas, the opener, started well for them, but Deshpande stopped him on 25 by zipping one into his pads.

India A had a shaky start to day two, losing Kotian to Doggett in the second over, with Handscomb pulling off a smart, low catch in the slips after putting in a shift at short leg on day one. Mulani made 18 before Murphy had him stumped with a sharp-turning offbreak. However, Kushagra's century and Kamboj's cameo took India A up to a strong total, which looked stronger following Australia A's collapse.