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KL Rahul’s unbeaten 176, Sai Sudharsan’s 100 power India A to stunning run-chase of 413 against Australia A | Cricket News

Times of IndiaBy No Comments4 Mins Read
KL Rahul India A vs Australia A


The scoreboard made for quite a remarkable reading at the end of the second unofficial Test between India A and Australia A in Lucknow on Friday. The match began with the visitors notching up 420 in the first innings, followed by India A folding for just 185. The story was flipped in the second innings as Australia A mustered up just 194, and KL Rahul powered the hosts to a sensational run-chase on the fourth and final day, amassing 413 for the loss of just five wickets.

At the start of the final day, India A were 244 runs away with eight wickets in hand. And Rahul and B Sai Sudharsan struck sublime hundreds in a stunning five-wicket win over Australia A while hunting down a target of 413 to seal the two-match unofficial Test series 1-0 at the Ekana on Friday. It was the sixth-highest successful run chase in the country’s first-class history. The highest chase remains in the name of West Zone when they overhauled South Zone’s target of 536 in the 2010 Duleep Trophy final.

And Rahul’s form (176 not out, 210 balls, 16×4, 4×6) is an ominous sign for the West Indies ahead of the two-match Test series, starting next month. He has carried on from where he left off in England, where he had a memorable run at the top of the order in a 2-2 drawn series.

Starting the fourth and final day from their overnight 169 for two, India lost Manav Suthar at the total of 189. But Sudharsan (100, 172 balls) and skipper Dhruv Jurel (56) added 78 runs for the fourth wicket to keep India A in the chase of a daunting 412. Sudharsan fetched his eighth first-class hundred in 170 balls, vindicating his call-up for the upcoming home Tests against the West Indies. However, the 23-year-old was dismissed two balls after going past the landmark by Australia off-spinner Corey Rocchiccioli.
But it brought together Rahul and Jurel at the crease and the former pummelled the Aussie bowlers mercilessly in their stand of 115 runs for the fifth wicket.

Rahul, who had retired hurt on 74 on Thursday, brought up his 22nd first-class hundred in 136 balls, and the next 76 runs cascaded in a mere 74 balls as India A closed in on the target briskly. It was a continuation of the fine form that Rahul displayed against England in the recent five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy while amassing 532 runs at an average of 53.20 with two centuries.

Jurel departed with the team score at 382, but by then the home side was well within sight of a fantastic win, which was completed by Rahul and Nitish Kumar Reddy (16 not out) a few minutes before tea.

“We did create a lot of chances, probably just off the back of the homework, and let ourselves down a little bit with not taking them,” Australian spinner Todd Murphy was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au after the match. “I thought we applied ourselves pretty well out there as it was a tough grind. Rahul and Sudharsan batted really well, and (they were able to) grind us into the ground.”

“The biggest challenge for us was probably dealing with the heat and the humidity, (it) was bloody tough work,” Murphy added. “Even personally trying to figure out different ways to hold the ball when your hands were slippery with so much sweat, it was a big challenge for me. We had a great first-innings lead and we let them back into the game slightly, which in these conditions over here you can’t afford to do.”

Brief scores: Australia A: 420 and 185 all out lost to India A: 194 all out and 413/5 in 91.3 overs (KL Rahul 176 not out, Sai Sudharan 100, Dhruv Jurel 56; Todd Murphy 3/114) by 5 wickets.

(With PTI inputs)




The postKL Rahul’s unbeaten 176, Sai Sudharsan’s 100 power India A to stunning run-chase of 413 against Australia A | Cricket News appeared first on Indian Express

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