IND vs AUS A Pink-Ball Practice Match: Pacers Shine as India Take 86-Run Lead on Day 1 Despite Dismissal Show From Batsmen

Mohammed Shami and Navdeep Saini shared three-wickets each to bowl out the hosts for just 108 runs at Sydney Cricket Ground.

The Indian pacers put up a solid show with the Pink-Ball on Day 1 of the 2nd Practice match against Australia as visitors took a healthy 86-run lead at the Stumps. Mohammed Shami and Navdeep Saini shared three-wickets each to bowl out the hosts for just 108 runs at Sydney Cricket Ground.

Earlier, Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and elected to bat first as regular skipper Virat Kohli and experienced campaigner Cheteshwar was rested for the game. India had a poor start to the game with Mayank Agarwal returning to the pavilion on just 2. Shubman Gill then joined Prithvi Shaw in the middle to counter-attack the Aussie bowlers.

The young duo played some cracking shots to put pressure on opposition but Shaw couldn’t control his ambitions was dismissed by Will Sutherland. The Mumbaikar slammed 40 runs off just 29 balls as his innings was laced with 8 boundaries.

Sustained pressure from the Indian quicks and Australia A have been bowled out for 108. India lead by 86 runs.

20 wickets have fallen on Day 1 of the pink ball tour game at SCG.

Shami – 3/29
Bumrah – 2/33
Siraj – 1/26
Saini – 3/19 pic.twitter.com/imsodze0eB

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 11, 2020

After Shaw’s departure, the Indian batting line up collapsed miserably were 9 down on 123. After that Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami showed some resilience and shared a 71-run stand for the last wicket to take the team to 194. Bumrah slammed his maiden first-class half-centuries and remained not out on 55 runs off 57 balls.

Bumrah continued his form in the match with the ball too and dismissed Joe Burns on a duck to put Australia A on the backfoot. The game was affected for few minutes due to rain, but then after the resumption, Shami ran riot with the ball as he dismissed Marcus Harris and Ben McDermott in quick successions.

The Aussie batsmen weren’t able to stitch any crucial partnership in the middle phase as Saini took some quick wickets. Skipper Alex Carey was the highest scorer for Australia A in the first innings with 32.

The Day 1 reflected India’s batting woes in the absence of Kohli and Pujara as the middle order consist of Hanuma Vihari, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant and Wriddhiman Saha had a tough time facing the pink ball. While the bowlers gave some sigh of relief to the team management with their show under lights at SCG. On Day 2, Indian batsmen will look to bat at least till stumps to get into the grove for the Day-Night Test at Adelaide Oval, starting from December 17.