Devdutt Padikkal and his boys have dug out a sensational draw against Australia A in the second unofficial Test in Puducherry. They survived the last three overs of the final day’s play with just one wicket standing, and won the series 1-0 in the process.
In the fourth innings of the match, India were set a challenging target of 365 runs. By the end of the match, India were left at 310/9, having been pushed to the brink of defeat multiple times throughout the gripping final day. At one stage, the visitors had them reeling at 199/7. Peter Handscomb would have sensed victory at the stage of the day. However, they were left just one wicket away from what could have been a sensational win.
India A exhibit great resilience
India started the day at 28/1. They still needed 337 runs to win the game, and it was a daunting target. Australia had a full day to attack the Indians and level the series.
The nightwatcher, Tushar Deshpande, offered the first resistance. He scored 52 runs while playing out 119 deliveries. Ayush Pandey and Devdutt Padikkal departed as Deshpande continued his fight. When Hatcher dismissed Desphande, India had 131 runs on the board. Shaik Rasheed arrived in the middle and injected some impetus into the proceedings. However, Rasheed fell soon, leaving India reeling at 185/5. They lost Kumar Kushagra and Tanush Kotian in quick succession after that, and Australia could see the win on the horizon as India A struggled at 199/7.
But then came the biggest resistance of the innings from Yash Rathod and Shams Mulani. They played out 216 deliveries while adding 85 runs and frustrating the visitors. Liam Scott finally broke the partnership by trapping Rathod lbw. He walked back after scoring a resilient 80 off 138 deliveries, with India now left at 284/8.
Scott soon got the wicket of Shams Mulani (29 off 131), too. And now it was down to a battle of nerves for the last three overs. In those 18 deliveries, Nachiket Bhute and Praful Hinge added 18 more to the total. But at that stage, it was not about the runs. It was about time and the number of deliveries. As the 103rd over finished, the time to get a result in the game was also exhausted.
Before this, Australia A batted first after winning the toss and posted 358 runs in the first innings. The batting effort was led by Sam Harper, who scored a brilliant 128 off 223 deliveries. India A failed to show any resilience in the first innings and were bundled for 167. In the second innings, Australia A declared at 173/4, adding to their 191-run lead from the first innings.
With 364 runs on the board, the visitors would have expected to get the better of India A and wrap up the game quickly, especially after their unimpressive batting show in the first innings. Instead, the Indian middle and lower middle-order turned the final afternoon into a prolonged exhibition of resistance and resilience.
