IND-A vs AUS-A, 3rd unofficial ODI: Shedge stars as India A claims consolation victory

Suryansh Shedge scored only his second List-A fifty on Sunday. | Photo Credit: Cricket Association of Pondicherry

He found a place in the squad only due to Hardik Pandya’s injury, but Suryansh Shedge has arguably been India A’s best player this series. After impressing with the ball earlier in the tour, his back-against-the-wall fifty helped the team prevent a clean sweep in the one-day leg.

The Mumbai all-rounder (66, 60b, 7x4, 2x6) helped India A post a fighting total of 275 in the final one-day at the CAP Siechem Stadium on Sunday, which was enough to beat the visitors by 49 runs.

India A’s opening pair, Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh, made good use of the new ball in the first PowerPlay. The fuller-length balls were dispatched to the offside fence, transferring the pressure back onto the Australia A bowlers.

The duo helped post 82 in 10 overs, but Prabhsimran fell immediately after, mistiming a pull shot to midwicket. One wicket brought four as the hosts stumbled to 118 for five, unable to adjust to the lack of pace in the wicket. Priyansh fell one short of a half-century.

Priyansh Arya impressed in his first outing of the series. | Photo Credit: Cricket Association of Pondicherry

Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shedge were forced to be cautious in their approach. A 42-run stand steadied the ship until the former fell to a ball that held in the surface, edging it onto the stumps.

The seventh-wicket stand between Shedge and Vipraj Nigam dug India A out of the hole. The pair targeted the spinners, and their ability to play the slog sweep and the reverse sweep improved their chances of picking boundaries. Nigam holed out for 40, but not before playing his part in India A’s best partnership of the series (85 off 77 balls). Suryansh’s second List-A half-century helped push the total to 275 before the side was bowled out.

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Australia followed the same template in its batting innings. Promoted up the order, Josh Philippe (56, 48b, 6x4, 2x6) took on Gurjapneet Singh early on. Along with Liam Scott, he ensured a steady flow of runs in the first ten overs. The Indian spinners used the available smidge of turn to remove the set top order.

The game meandered on as Nathan McSweeney kept the scoreboard ticking during his partnerships with Lachlan Shaw and Nikhil Chaudhary. But once he fell edging a back-of-a-length ball from Gurjapneet to the ‘keeper, the task was cut out for the visitor. The ever-climbing required run rate forced the lower order into big shots, and that helped the India A pacers pick the last seven wickets for just 49 runs.