India-A vs Australia-A highlights: IND-A beat AUS-A by 2-wickets

Well, we have a close one here. What a comeback this has been from Australia. They have kept picking wickets and pushing India onto the backfoot, and now they are in a situation where they can win this game.

India is losing a few quick wickets here. And are looking in a bit of a pickle. The side must hold its nerve and gets over the line. Ayush Badoni in the middle is playing quite nicely so far and he has the experince of finishing games such as these.

Well, the partnership between Iyer and Parag is blossoming quite superbly. It does seem like India is going to win this game on a canter. The way Prabhsimran Singh is batting, sooner or later, he will be in contention for the opening slot at least for one of the white-ball formats for India.

Skipper Shreyas Iyer and Riyan Parag are building a nice partnership here. This is an important innings for Iyer, he has been elevated as the vice-captain of the Indian side. This game may not be the conditions he will be facing in Australia in a fortnight's time, but if he can get some runs under his belt it will always be handy. 

Todd Murphy has picked up the wicket of Tilak Varma, and Tanveer Sangha has got the wicket of centurion Prabhsimran Singh. India has lost 3 wickets now; however, the innings from Prabhsimran Singh has set up the game nicely for them. From here India must be able to win the game with ease.

Todd Murphy has picked up the wicket of Abhishek Sharma here. The off-spinner has got the breakthrough. Abhishek, although has done a good job in the Asia Cup, could not convert those runs in the longer version of the game. Tilak Varma has walked into the middle.

This is a good start for India's A side. Both Abhishek Sharma and Prabhsimran Singh have ensured India has got to a flyer. In these conditions, batting gets easier under lights in the chase. Both Abhishek and Prabhsimran are making the most of the conditions. 

The chase starts for India. It is a pretty gettable total for India, but both Abhishek Sharma and Prabhsimran Singh are attacking players and if they get a start, India will be flying in this game in no time.

316 is what Australia ultimately has. Which is a bit of a defendable total, but at one point in their innings, it looked like they could have gotten more. Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana have picked up three wickets each for India.

Well, well, what do we know? India has broken the partnership that has inflicted the collapse yet again. Australia are 300/9, given how flat this wicket is, one must say it is a bit of an underpar score by them in the end. India does have good firepower in their batting order to get these runs.

This is a good partnership for Australia A. They were in a bit of trouble early on but these two are setting up the innings nicely. With their current situation, Australia A will be hoping to get at least 340 from here.

A cracking century partnership for the 7th wicket between Jack Edwards and Liam Scott. Both batters have waltzed past the half-century mark with a strong diet of boundaries - 8 fours and 8 sixes.

AUS-A 249/6 in 35 overs

Walking in at No. 8, skipper Jack Edwards has whipped up a quick-fire knock to keep the scoring rates healthy. Australia nearing in on 200 despite losing six wickets within 21 overs. Edwards on 41* off only 27 deliveries.

AUS-A 193/6 in 28 overs

Massive jolt for the Aussies! Shreyas Iyer brings on Ayush Badoni into the attack and he strikes almost instantly. Cooper Connolly departs after a well-compiled 64, leaving AUS-A six down.

Cooper Connolly 64(49) ct Abhishek Sharma b Ayush Badoni,

Australia A 135/6

Cooper Connolly continues to ride against the odds. Despite losing a sturdy stand with Lachlan Shaw with Nishant Sindhu striking early on his spell, Connolly has stormed past his half-century. Into the 60s with an SR above 134. Four sixes and five boundaries already!

Australia continue to maintain a strong run rate, going at 6po. Cooper Connolly and Lachlan Shaw have unleashed a quick counter, with their partnership standing at 46 off only 42 deliveries.

AUS A 90/4 in 15 overs

Harshit Rana strikes again! Australia slip to four down in no time as Lachlan Hearne's brisk start comes to an end. After striking a six and a four each, Rana nabs him. Interestingly, Parag has his third catch of the afternoon!

Lachlan Hearne 16(13) ct Riyan Parag b Harshit Rana

Australia A 44/4

Australia A in serious disarray as Harshit Rana takes the third wicket. Harry Dixon falls early, with Riyan Parag pouching another catch.

Harry Dixon 1(4) ct Riyan Parag b Harshit Rana

Australia A 24/3

Arshdeep Singh bags his second! He removes Mackenzie Harvey caught by Riyan Parag. India A have packed both openers within the first five overs.

Mackenzie Harvey 7(11) ct Riyan Parag b Arshdeep Singh,

Australia A 22/2

First strike for India A! Arshdeep Singh removes Fraser-McGurk in his second over with Vipraj Nigam taking the catch. The Aussie opener falls for five off seven deliveries. Cooper Connolly is in at 3.

Jake Fraser McGurk 5(7) ct Vipraj Nigam b Arshdeep Singh

Australia A 7/1

Back for action. Mackenzie Harvey and Jake-Fraser McGurk open the batting for Australia A. Arshdeep Singh opens the attack for India A.

India A XI: Abhishek Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh(w), Tilak Varma, Shreyas Iyer(c), Riyan Parag, Ayush Badoni, Nishant Sindhu, Vipraj Nigam, Harshit Rana, Gurjapneet Singh, Arshdeep Singh.

Australia A XI: Jack Edwards (c), Jake Fraser Mcgurk (wk), Mackenzie Harvey, Cooper Connolly, Harry Dixon, Lachlan Hearne, Lachlan Shaw, Liam Scott, Todd Murphy, Tanveer Sangha, Tom Straker 

TOSS: Australia A opt to bat first

TOSS Updates soon. Stay tuned..

Upon his return to India following a successful Asia Cup, Tilak Varma acknowledged the high-stakes environment, stating that political tensions within the tournament reached a peak during the final against Pakistan. When India lost three early wickets in the chase, the opposition "tried to get more intense."

However, Varma saw engaging with their "antics" as a potential pitfall. He deliberately chose not to retaliate verbally or provocatively, prioritizing the team's victory above all else. "If I get drawn into all that and play a rash shot, it means I am letting my country down," he explained. Varma's strategy was simple: focus entirely on the game. He concentrated on "what I needed to do to win the match," resolving to "let my bat do the talking." While he admitted that "a lot of things happened" during the match—typical of an India vs. Pakistan clash—he stated he couldn't publicly disclose all the details. Ultimately, he believes securing the win was the most powerful statement he could make. READ MORE from Tanishq Vaddi

Abhishek Sharma, the hero of India's Asia Cup T20 campaign, had a forgettable outing on his India A return, falling for a golden duck against the Aussies. 

Despite recent talks about Abhishek Sharma's strong form earning him a spot in the ODI squad, selectors have currently prioritized Yashasvi Jaiswal for the opening role. Jaiswal, who was part of last year's T20 World Cup squad, is viewed by team management as the ideal long-term successor to Rohit Sharma. His ability to be both a solid anchor and a naturally aggressive batsman, especially his strong back-foot play against pace and bounce, has given him a significant advantage. While Abhishek remains in contention, he'll have to wait, as he is currently seen as a potential replacement if the batting order is reshuffled down the line. READ MORE

Australian A pacer Henry Thornton was recently hospitalized in Kanpur with suspected food poisoning. According to reports, the 28-year-old was admitted in a hospital for two days due to a severe stomach infection and gastrointestinal issues believed to have stemmed from food consumed at the team hotel. Although local management initially monitored his condition, its severity necessitated his hospital admission for treatment by senior doctors. Thornton has since been released after making a full recovery and is now back with the Australia A squad for their unofficial third ODI against India A.

A slightly hotter afternoon on forecast in Kanpur today with clearer skies and we might be in for a treat today. The Indian batters were in for a surprise collapse in the previous match, saved partly by a stoic knock from Tilak Varma. There will be much focus on Shreyas Iyer too, after being named as the vice-captain of the Indian ODI side on Saturday.