Shreyas Iyer (110, 83b, 12×4, 4×6) banished apprehensions over his fitness, Priyansh Arya (101, 84b, 11×4, 5×6) made a memorable India A debut, and the home team’s batters feasted on the adjusted ground dimensions at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur to thump Australia A by 171 runs in the first unofficial one-day on Wednesday.
Rain had forced this fixture to be called-off on Tuesday, but the match officials used an extra day off to squeeze in a contest. However, the boundaries at both ends of the pitch had to be pulled in to cut off the damp areas on the outfield. The square boundaries too ended up uneven due to this change.
Australia A’s call to win the toss and insert India A, presumably to use the damp conditions, backfired with Priyansh and Prabhsimran Singh curbing their instinct for big hits, which made them a hit in this year’s Indian Premier League.
The problems for the visitor compounded with the ball doing nothing in the air or off the surface.
Prabhsimran punished width from Will Sutherland on multiple occasions to pick boundaries, apart from driving through the ‘V’ to make the most of the short boundaries. The first real intent to attack cameonly in the 12th over, when Arya heaved Sam Elliot across-the line to pick a maximum. Prabhsimran took a leaf from his partner’s book, charging down to Elliot and chipping him over long off.
Prabhsimran took on left-arm orthodox Cooper Connolly too, again going down the ground for a four and a six off successive deliveries. Arya attacked Todd Murphy with three boundaries in one over, which included a drilled-drive past the bowler and an aerial sweep over short fine leg.
Tom Straker halted the opening stand on 135 runs, when he surprised Prabhsimran with extra bounce to have him caught behind. But Arya’s pull through midwicket and a hook over fine leg for a combined 10 runs in the same over gave a glimpse of his disdain for the wicket.
Shreyas, coming into the match after pulling out of the unofficial Test, needed a couple of back-foot punches off Elliot to shake off a nervy start, which included an edge through the vacant slip region against Tanveer Sangha, and a reprieve from keeper Lachlan Shaw off Sam Elliott on 12 runs.
But the responsibility to build on the solid foundation grew on Shreyas after Arya perished in the 26th over, shortly after his 82-ball hundred. The change in gears after his run-a-ball fifty was marked by successive maximums against Sangha, which came with loft over the shorter midwicket fence and an inside-out heave.
Riyan Parag’s liking for the midwicket region was indifferent to boundary size. His first two sixes, slog sweeps off Sangha, came on the shorter side, while the next two, pull shots off his back foot against Connolly, were on the longer side. Two of these four hits caused delays, sending ball boys on a hunt for the ball in the seating areas.
Shreyas plundered Sangha and Murphy for three boundaries each, in the 42nd and 43rd overs, as he tallied his next set of 50 runs in just 25 balls. Australia A reined in the home side after Shreyas’ fall in the 47th over, managing 14 straight deliveries without a boundary. However, Ayush Badoni’s 27-ball 50 was enough to take India A to an intimidating 413 for six.
Australia A showed stomach for a fight as it wiped off 101 runs from the target inside the PowerPlay. Jake Fraser-McGurk launched the pursuit with five boundaries off as many deliveries against Gurjapneet Singh. However, he whipped a regulation length delivery at his pads to short midwicket, handing Yudhvir Singh Charak his first scalp.
His opening partner Mackenzie Harvey used the pace on offer to clear the infield, his slice against Charak to clear the fence over covers being the highlight. Connolly picked back-to-back sixes against the third pacer Simarjeet Singh with a pick up off his pads and slash over covers.
But Badoni’s off-breaks worked the trick for India A against the southpaws and broke the momentum. Connolly, hell-bent on playing across the line was lured by a wider, slower delivery and handed a feather to Prabhsimran.
Though Shaw and Harvey’s 53-run stand for the third wicket kept Australia A on track, the duo too perished to spin. Harvey was the first to depart when his on-sided slap shot against Nishant Sindhu found Riyan at mid off with a top edge. In the next over from Ravi Bishnoi, Shaw holed out to long on, on his attempt to clear the boundary.
Bishnoi and Sindhu combined for four wickets without conceding a run in the 22nd and 23rd overs. Captain Sutherland put up a late fight with his 33-ball 50, but it was going to have little impact after the middle order’s caving in.
Gurjapneet and Simarjeet returned to pick a wicket each as the visiting side folded for 242 runs.
Published on Oct 01, 2025