Murphy’s double strike put India-A in trouble.
| Photo Credit: CAP
Neither Devdutt Padikkal (31, 46b, 4×4) nor B. Sai Sudharsan could bail India-A out from a batting slump, and the host had its back to the wall against Australia-A after the second day of the second ‘Test’ at the Siechem Cricket Stadium here on Wednesday.
The internationals had chipped in with runs in the first game, but Todd Murphy (two for 26) and Corey Rocchiccioli snared them and hit the spine of this Indian batting line-up. India-A was 122 for five at stumps, still 236 behind the visitors.
Padikkal was quick off the blocks against Liam Hatcher, whom he square drove and chipped over mid-wicket for two boundaries. He was scoring at more than run-a-ball after he late-cut Rocchiccioli, but it did not take long for things to spiral.
Rocchiccioli, with his tall release and flight, had already got deliveries to misbehave with extra bounce. With Sai Sudharsan pushed into his crease to tackle this trepidation, the gambit was completed by Murphy, who fired a delivery full, got it to turn low and crash into the off-stump.
Padikkal was helpless to a similar delivery, an odd occasion where Rocchiccioli bowled quicker. got the ball to stay low and rearrange his castle.
Shaik Rasheed (36 batting, 140b, 2×4), seeing the slide, opted to stonewall to survive till stumps, but was let down by Yash Rathod and Kumar Kushagra, who threw away starts.
India could have been further adrift had Sam Harper (128, 223b, 7×4, 3×6) not decided to flaunt the restraint in his game. The overnight centurion, resuming on 101, added just 20 runs off 60 balls in the morning session, letting Richardson (31, 67b, 6×4) take the initiative.
Kotian extracted sharp turn and castled Richardson, ending the eighth-wicket stand on 57. Just 20 minutes after lunch, Kamboj nabbed Harper and Hatcher off consecutive deliveries, caught behind and leg-before respectively, to hold off Australia-A on 358.
The scores: Australia-A 358 in 116.3 overs (Jason Sangha 46, Sam Harper 128) vs. India-A 122/5 in 51 overs.
Published – September 30, 2026 08:32 pm IST
