IND-A vs AUS-A, 1st Unofficial Test — Kushagra, Kotian spare the blushes for India-A on Day 1

Kumar Kushagra and Tanush Kotian sticked together a 138-run partnership to help India-A to 257 on the opening day against Australia-A. | Photo Credit: CAP/Sanjay Rajan

Kumar Kushagra and Tanush Kotian braved a rampant spin attack from Australia-A to salvage India-A’s innings on the opening day of the first unofficial Test at the Siechem Cricket Stadium in Puducherry on Tuesday.

Their 138-run partnership was an ideal intervention after India-A had slumped to 95 for five, and it ended only because Kushagra retired hurt after enduring a nearly session-long battle with cramps. He was unbeaten on 82 off 170 balls.

Kotian ensured this did not disrupt his momentum, finishing the day on 68 off 134, with India-A at 257 for five.

AS IT HAPPENED | India A vs Australia A 1st unofficial Test Day 1 Highlights: India A 257/5; Kotian, Kushagra hit fifties

They had their share of tentative half-presses and jabs against Corey Rocchiccioli, but were hardly as clueless against the off-spinner as some of the other batters were earlier in the day.

Both were handed early reprieves. Kushagra was pinned by Brendan Doggett’s in-seamer, but a timely DRS saved him and revealed the ball to be going down leg. Kotian should have been snared behind off Todd Murphy had either Josh Philippe or the first slip held the chance.

Murphy drew an edge off Kotian a second time, only for it to spray wide of the slip.

Kushagra exercised restraint while setting up the recovery partnership, and his only flourishing strokes, a drive off Rocchiccioli, and a flick and an on-drive off Doggett, came off over-pitched deliveries.

It was only when Kotian slog-swept Rocchiccioli on the first delivery of the third session and followed it up with a cut through covers that India-A really put its foot down and turned the game. Kushagra lapped up freebies angling down leg from Doggett and Liam Scott and glanced them through fine leg for boundaries.

But the unlikely hurdle came from the sapping heat of Puducherry, which forced him to take a lengthy treatment for cramps in the 60th over. In the 79th over, he was forced to walk off.

Shams Mulani stood guard for the closing phase, which included a six-over new ball burst.

The spinners bowling defensive lines to Kushagra and Kotian from around the wicket did not aid Australia-A’s cause, and they looked nowhere as threatening as they did in the first session-and-a-half.

Rocchiccioli and Murphy had tied the Indian batters around the off-stump line and used flight to generate extra bounce on the odd ball. It was how Murphy nabbed the in-form Devdutt Padikkal and got him to edge to first slip.

Against Rocchiccioli, batters were left stuck in the crease. He used a clever plan with a silly mid-on in place to force Sheik Rasheed into giving a return catch. B. Sai Sudharsan persevered for his 103-ball 57 but was left helpless after a long hop held-up off the surface, took his leading edge and went back to Rocchiccioli.

Though Rocchiccioli took great catches on both occasions, he could not hold onto the momentum, which eventually shaped the day.