Kushagra hundred, Mulani four-for put India A in command against Australia A
ESPNcricinfoNews article
Hosts end the first day in Puducherry with a lead of 163
Australia A 171 (Sangha 46, Mulani 4-67, Deshpande 2-32, Kotian 2-31) trial India A 334 (Kushagra 113, Kotian 69, Rocchiccioli 4-95, Murphy 3-77) by 163 runs
India A gained a vice-like grip on proceedings in Puducherry, rolling Australia A over for 171 at stumps on day two after Kumar Kushagra's hundred had carried the hosts to 334.
After retiring hurt on 82 due to cramps on day one, Kushagra returned to bat and completed his century, helping India A stretch their overnight total of 257 for 5 to 334. Seamers Anshul Kamboj and Tushar Deshpande made early inroads for India A before left-arm spinner Shams Mulani cut through the middle order with a four-wicket haul. Offspinner Tanush Kotian also pitched in two wickets, helping India A earn a sizeable lead of 163.
Mulani and Kotian upstaged Todd Murphy and Corey Rocchiccioli who had shared seven wickets between them for Australia A.
In a portent for what could follow in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy next year, Mulani and Kotian confounded Australia A's batters with turn or lack thereof on a mixed-soil surface that seemed to offer more assistance to the slower bowlers on day two.
Peter Handscomb, the Australia A captain who could be in the running for a comeback during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, responded to a scoreline of 20 for 2 with a pulled four off India A debutant Praful Hinge but was less certain against Mulani. After the spinner extracted some turn, he darted in an arm ball, which skidded off the surface and had Handscomb jabbing hastily on the back foot. But the ball zipped through and knocked out the middle stump, sending Handscomb back for 8. It was a reminder of how hard it is to budget for natural variation.
By then, Nathan McSweeney, another Border-Gavaskar Trophy hopeful, was already out for 0 off 17 balls. Hinge bowled a perfectly pitched delivery that angled in from over the wicket and seamed away late to hit the top of off stump.
Jason Sangha briefly countered spin with his variety of sweeps before a reverse-sweep off Mulani cut his innings short on 46 off 64 balls. Mulani found more overspin and had Sangha splicing a catch to his Mumbai team-mate Kotian at point.
More to follow
Based on ESPNcricinfo reporting