Devdutt padikkal

Pacer Mukesh Kumar: Pacer Mukesh Kumar shined with a six-wicket haul, while B Sai Sudarshan and Devdutt Padikkal hit unbeaten fifties each as India A ended day two’s play with a 120-run lead, and their score reading 208/2.

Mukesh’s 6/46 along with Prasidh Krishna’s three-wicket haul helped India A bowl out Australia A for 195, though the hosts’ took a vital 88-run lead. India A, who were dismissed for 107 in first innings, lost skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad (5) and Abhimanyu Easwaran (12) cheaply and were reeling 30/2 in 8.5 overs.

But the duo of Sai Sudharsan and Padikkal, who were the only batters to enter double digits in the first innings, steadied the ship for India A through an unbroken 178-run stand for the third wicket in the visitors second innings. The duo were also helped by the pitch flattening out and some wayward bowling coming their way from Australia ‘A’.