Pacers and spinners do it for India-A

On a day when the Australia-A batters came out with their guards up against the spinners, it was the pacers who did the early damage in securing a 162-run win for India-A in the first ‘Test’ at the Siechem Cricket Stadium here on Friday.

In an opening hour burst, Anshul Kamboj and Tushar Deshpande nabbed two wickets each to all but settle the chase.

Fergus O’Neill delayed India-A’s march to a win but the spinners delivered after lunch to settle the contest just 30 minutes into the second session.

The early morning procession began with Kamboj exploiting the uneven bounce. His length delivery kicked up and took Nathan McSweeney’s glove on the way to the ’keeper. Two overs later, Peter Handscomb pressed forward on a fuller delivery and saw the ball sneak under his bat and flatten the off-stump. The same trick worked for Tushar Deshpande in sending back Josh Philippe and Liam Scott off consecutive deliveries.

Both were spot on in reading the length and attempting front-footed drives, but left betrayed by the surface. Fergus O’Neill played out the hat-trick ball. His 52-ball 47 (5×4, 1×6) would have annoyed the home team. He hoisted offie Tanush Kotian twice over mid-wicket, for a six and a four, and even brought out his reverse sweep past point.

Kotian did not go empty-handed, castling Jason Sangha on 26, who had already enjoyed two reprieves off left-arm spinner Shams Mulani — Devdutt Padikkal not opting for a DRS on a leg-before appeal and Kumar Kushgra missing a stumping.

Todd Murphy hung around with O’Neill and their 67-run stand for the eighth-wicket stretching the match into the second session. But soon, Mulani lured O’Neill into his on-side trap, making him slog sweep down to deep square leg just three short of his half-century. Mulani picked up Murphy and Brendan Doggett in his next two overs, and wrapped up the contest.

The scores: India-A 334 & 199 bt Australia-A 171 & 200 in 55.1 overs (O’Neill 47, Deshpande 3/14, Mulani 3/57); PoM: Kushagra.