Australia A aims to seal the series in the second unofficial ODI against India A at Puducherry on Friday
Australia A leads 1-0 after a dominant 125-run win powered by Nathan McSweeney's century and Mahli Beardman's fierce spell
India A seeks a strong response from its top order to bounce back and keep the series alive
India A and Australia A meet at the Cricket Association Puducherry Siechem Ground on Friday, 9 October, with the second of three unofficial ODIs.
Australia A won the first ODI by 125 runs, their first win of the tour after losing the Test series. They were 30 for 3 after choosing to bat, then 87 for 5, before Nathan McSweeney and Will Sutherland added 141 to lift them to 274.
McSweeney made 123 off 135 balls and Sutherland 77 off 68. In reply, 21-year-old quick Mahli Beardman ripped out India A's top order to leave them 24 for 3. Rajat Patidar's fifty was the only real resistance as India A were bowled out for 149 in 31.4 overs. McSweeney was named Player of the Match.
India A now need a response. They won the unofficial Test series 1-0, and captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, who made 15 in the first ODI, has an excellent recent record, with 484 runs in his last eight games at an average of 69.14. The top order must handle Beardman's new-ball threat.
Australia A can seal the series with a win, and conditions should again be demanding. Puducherry is expected to be hot and humid, with temperatures in the low 30s, and there is a 15% chance of rain. With the series on the line, the toss and the opening overs could decide the match.
Squads:
India A: Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Devdutt Padikkal, B Sai Sudharsan, Priyansh Arya, Kumar Kushagra (wk), Suryansh Shedge, Rajat Patidar, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Arshin Kulkarni, Nishant Sindhu, Vipraj Nigam, Yash Thakur, Gurjapneet Singh, Arshad Khan, Anukul Roy.
Australia: Aaron Hardie, Sam Konstas, Nathan McSweeney, Lachlan Shaw, Riley Meredith, Ben Dwarshuis, Nikhil Chaudhary, Mahli Beardman, Mitch Owen, Jack Edwards, Tanveer Sangha, Spencer Johnson, Todd Murphy, Will Sutherland.
Live Streaming Details
Fans in India can catch the live streaming of the India A vs Australia A unofficial ODI series exclusively on the JioHotstar app and website, with no traditional television broadcast scheduled for the matches. The match has a start time of 9:00 AM IST.
