India A batters dug themselves a hole, attempting heedless slogs against the Australia-A spinners, before Vipraj Nigam saved them the blushes and ensured Prabhsimran Singh’s hard work (102, 68b, 8×4, 7×6) was not undone by steering the side over the line in its pursuit of 317 runs in the third unofficial one-day at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur.
The home side was cantering along in the chase but lost five wickets for 39 runs, including Shreyas Iyer and Riyan Parag, to allow Australia A a late shot at victory. However, Nigam held his nerve and unfurled a ramp shot through fine leg and a loft over covers against Liam Scott to hand India A a two-wicket victory and the series win.
The late undulation seemed unfathomable when Prabhsimran accomplished the enviable feat of reducing Abhishek Sharma to a bystander in the PowerPlay, and notched up his sixth List A century in just 66 balls.
He took on the on-side trap that entailed boundary riders at deep midwicket and deep square leg. Prabhsimran was hit on the helmet by Tom Straker’s bouncer but fired back with a short-arm jab past midwicket.
Straker tried the ploy a second time, this time with two catchers, but was hooked over fine leg. Prabhsimran pocketed 14 runs in boundaries off Jack Edwards – with a slice over point, a pull for six and a drive through extra covers.
Todd Murphy threatened to throw India A off track with quick wickets. He got Abhishek to miscue a cut and hole out at short third, and trapped Tilak Varma in front. But Prabhsimran hardly retreated, flaunting his deftness with a late cut against Tanveer Sangha.
He added two maximums to his account as he ticked past the ton. But when he sliced to cover off Sangha in the 20th over, India A was at 145 and only halfway through.
These concerns were brushed aside when Shreyas Iyer and Riyan Parag combined for 117 runs for the fourth wicket. It did not take long for Riyan to launch strikes over his preferred midwicket region, with Sangha bearing the assault on both occasions.
Shreyas really put his foot on the gas in the 28th over, when he wafted Scott over mid on. In his next over, he picked successive boundaries, heaving through the off side.
Things spun out of India A’s control once these two departed, shortly after their fifties. Shreyas and Riyan were identical not only with their scores (62 runs), but also with their reckless dismissals. Both perished trying to swing for glory against Sangha when the situation begged for composure. India A slipped from 262 for three to 301 for eight post their departures before Nigam prevented any further embarrassment.
Australia A’s late fightback was only possible due to the foundation laid by Scott and captain Edwards’ intrepid seventh-wicket stand. The fast-bowling all-rounders put up 152 runs after half the side had been dismissed for 115.
Scott’s six into the sightscreen after stepping out of his crease to Nigam was the first intimation of the pair’s impending obtrusion. Edwards had hooked Arshdeep over fine leg for a six, but joined in the spin takedown with a six and four through midwicket against Nigam.
The lanky all-rounders made the most of their crease against the spinners, using depth to rock back and launch their hits through the on-side. To the subtle attempts at adjusting length, the pair charged down, which Nishant Sindhu found out when Scott picked him over long on and deep midwicket with a step out off successive deliveries.
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The introduction of Harshit Rana also did not break their rhythm either. Scott smoked his attempted bouncer over deep midwicket while Edwards used his pace to pick boundaries through fine leg and covers.
It needed Gurjapneet Singh’s hit-the-deck slower deliveries to rein the pair in. Not giving the pace or length to pick upon, India A squeezed in three overs without a boundary. It was this pushback that convinced Scott to go after Ayush Badoni.
But the part-time off-spinner fired a delivery wide, forcing Scott to chase it and inducing a leading edge to short third man. Edwards sliced a wide, slower full toss to extra cover two overs later against Arshdeep Singh.
India A allowed only 35 runs after the 40th over, restricting Australia A to 316, a total which proved just about within its reach in the end.
Earlier in the innings, Arshdeep and Harshit Rana ripped through a left-handed top order. Three of Australia A’s top four perished in the slip cordon, poking away at deliveries that nipped and swung away from them.
With the side at 44 for four, Cooper Connolly staged a mini-fightback with his 49-ball 64 before Scott and Edwards made India A sweat.
Published on Oct 05, 2025
