Australia A v India A: Failure for one of the leading contenders to take vacant Test opener spot has opened the door for another
It was a case of a missed opportunity for one opener and a chance to impress for the other at the end of day one in the ‘A’ tour match at the MCG. Earlier, in a bitter blow to Australia’s bowling depth, a strike weapon limped off.
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Marcus Harris can wrest the Test opening debate back in his favour on Friday after Nathan McSweeney blew his first and possibly only audition at the top of the order.
On a day in which Australia’s pace depth suffered a blow in the form of a hamstring injury to the red-hot Michael Neser, it was Harris who survived more than an hour of a probing India A attack before rain ended day one of the second four-day A clash early at the MCG.
Having bowled out India A for 161, Australia A was 2-53 at stumps, with Harris unbeaten on 26 as he bids for a return to the Aussie Test XI after almost three years.
Pertinently for the left-hander, his opening partner and Test frontrunner McSweeney fell for 14 after edging Indian seamer Mukesh Kumar to second slip.
The South Australian and Australia A skipper had hitherto looked in control but has left the door ajar for Harris to strike one final blow in the race to partner Usman Khawaja when the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series begins in Perth on November 22.
Demoted to No. 3 as Australian selectors tried McSweeney at the top of the order for the first time in first-class cricket, Cameron Bancroft’s miserable run continued when he pulled Khaleel Ahmed to midwicket for three.
The West Australian was already at long odds to leapfrog Harris and McSweeney but if there had been any glimmer of hope then another single-digit score would have sealed his fate.
Tyro Sam Konstas, who failed twice during the series opener in Mackay, was unbeaten on one at the close.
With the lead already down to 108, Australia A has a realistic chance of building a first innings advantage so sizeable that the Aussie understudies may not need to bat again, meaning Harris could have the final say before national selectors put the finishing touches to the Test squad, due to be named early next week.
Having ripped apart India A’s top order in the morning, Neser limped off the MCG during the afternoon, pulling up short after bowling the first ball of his 13th over.
He hobbled towards the race, unable to continue and was due to have scans on his left hamstring. He missed a domestic one-dayer because of a hamstring issue last month.
Cricket Australia said Neser would not bowl again during the match while his chances of featuring during the Test series may have also evaporated.
Neser, 34, had earlier been on a hat-trick and removed four of India A’s top five.
“Obviously never nice to see guy go down mid-over with a with an injury,” said Australia A all-rounder Beau Webster, who further pressed his own claim for a Test call-up with 3-19 on a greenish MCG wicket.
“He’s amazing at what he does with a new ball. Swings it, hardly bowls a bad ball. And ran through that top order nicely for us today, which gave us the upper hand.”
The lionhearted Queenslander who has played two Tests for Australia removed Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sai Sudharsan for ducks, caught at silly point and second slip respectively. Ruturaj Gaikwad narrowly survived the hat-trick ball, edging past Jimmy Peirson down the leg side for four, but nicked off to Neser the following over.
In between times, Scott Boland struck in his first over, with Indian veteran KL Rahul - a part of the Test squad this summer - edging behind for four as India A slumped to 4-11 after 16 balls.
Rahul was tried at the top of the order amid doubts over the availability of Indian skipper Rohit Sharma for the first Test.
Fellow Test squad member Dhruv Jurel, Rishabh Pant’s wicketkeeping backup, batted the best part of two sessions for 80 before skying a McSweeney delivery.
Australia A v India A: RECAP OF DAY ONE
5.25PM: STUMPS CALLED DUE TO RAIN
Rain has taken players from the field at the MCG and stumps has been called. Marcus Harris is still at the crease, 26 not out from 42 balls, putting his best forward at present, as an audition for the Test opening spot alongside Usman Khawaja. He is joined teen Sam Konstas, unbeaten on one.
5.10PM: Cam Bancroft’s long run of outs continues as his hopes of possibly snaring the vacant Test opening spot now fading with every time he takes to the crease. Batting at No. 3, the West Australian has been dismissed for three, following a duck and 16 in the first of the tour matches against India A.
His Sheffield Shield scores are also nothing to write home about yet to reach double figures.
4.40PM: AUSSIE OPENING FAVOURITE FAILS KEY TEST AUDITION
Nathan McSweeney has failed his first attempt at opening, falling for 14 in Australia A’s match against India A.
The South Australian skipper edged India A paceman Mukesh Kumar to KL Rahul at second slip.
McSweeney had been pitted with Marcus Harris at the top of the order ahead of the announcement of the Australian Test squad early next week.
India A had earlier been bowled out for 161.
3.45PM: The final couple of wickets have been quickly cleaned up with India A bowled out for 161. Four wickets to Michael Neser, who left the field injured, and 3-19 claimed by all-rounder Beau Webster. Dhruv Jurel scoring almost half the runs for the tourists with 80 from 186 balls, including two massive blows over the rope.
The battle for the Test opening spot now heats up with Nathan McSweeney and Marcus Harris soon to stride to the crease to open the Australia A innings.
3.05PM: NESER ROCKED BY INJURY AFTER RUNNING RIOT AT MCG
Having ripped apart India A’s top order in the morning, Michael Neser limped off the MCG on Thursday afternoon.
The Queensland paceman pulled up after bowling the first ball of his 13th over and hobbled towards the race, unable to continue. Cricket Australia said Neser would not bowl again and been sent for scans on his left hamstring.
Neser, 34, had earlier been on a hat-trick and removed four of India A’s top five on day one of the second A clash at the ‘G.
Dhruv Jurel was unbeaten on 80 at tea, with India A 8-153.
While attention in the build-up to this match had surrounded Nathan McSweeney’s elevation to the top of the order, his decision to insert India A after winning the toss paved the way for an almighty collapse.
Veteran seamers Neser and Scott Boland left India A at 4-11 after just 16 balls of the match.
Neser, the lionhearted Queenslander, who has played two Tests for Australia, was on a hat-trick after just four balls, removing Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sai Sudharsan for ducks, caught at silly point and second slip respectively. Ruturaj Gaikwad narrowly survived the hat-trick ball, edging past Jimmy Peirson down the leg side for four, but nicked off to Neser the following over.
In between times, Scott Boland struck in his first over, with Indian veteran KL Rahul - a part of the Test squad this summer - edging behind for four.
Australia A won the opening match of the series in Mackay by seven wickets.
2.10PM: 23-year-old Dhruv Jurel fighting hard while wickets fall around him, currently 52 not out from 122 balls for India A who are 7-110 after losing four wickets in the first three overs at the MCG all taken by Michael Neser (4-27).
And not long after Beau Webster picks up his third wicket for just 15 runs in his eighth over and the tourists are eight wickets down as the wickets continue to flow following the earlier collapse.
1.55PM: WEBSTER LANDS CRUEL DOUBLE-BLOW
Beau Webster has nailed a double-wicket maiden to abruptly end India A’s fightback shortly after lunch on day one.
Nitish Kumar Reddy became Webster’s first victim when he charged down the wicket, attempting to thump Webster inside out over cover.
It was an unusual move at this point in the day, considering how hard India had worked to recover from their lowly position at 4-11, with Dhruv Jurel (45 not out) steering the tourists past 100.
And it exposed the tail, which Webster capitalised on immediately by knocking over the off stump of Tanush Kotian.
12.30PM: INDIA REACH LUNCH WITHOUT FURTHER DAMAGE
India A have limped to the dressing rooms for the lunch break as they ponder what on earth happened in that session.
They’re 5-65, having recovered somewhat from an opening 15 minutes of chaos where their top four were sent packing by Australia A’s quicks.
Devdutt Padikkal (26) and Dhruv Jurel combined to halt the charge momentarily, adding 53 for the fifth wicket before Padikkal became the fourth victim for Michael Neser (4-16).
Jurel is unbeaten on 24 as the tourists try to better the 107 they scored in the opening innings of the first tour match in Mackay last week.
11.45AM: INDIA STOP THE BLEEDING
From 16 balls of carnage, to an hour of survival.
India have recovered, somewhat, from the early madness at the MCG to stop the bleeding with a patient partnership between Devdutt Padikkal and Rishabh Pant’s understudy, wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel.
The pair have put on 30 runs in testing conditions after overcoming the treacherous early onslaught from Michael Neser (3-16) and Scott Boland (1-16).
Australia A captain Nathan McSweeney has turned to the spin of West Australia’s Corey Rocchiccioli as he searches for another breakthrough.
McSweeney will open the batting for Australia A as he pushes his case for a Test debut.
10.55AM: NESER RUNS THROUGH INDIA A
Australia’s pace understudies ripped through the heart of India A’s top order on Thursday morning in a dramatic start to the second clash of the A series.
While attention in the build-up to this match had surrounded Nathan McSweeney’s elevation to the top of the order, his decision to insert India A after winning the toss paved the way for an almighty collapse on the first morning at the MCG.
Veteran seamers Michael Neser and Scott Boland left India A at 4-11 after just 16 balls of the match.
Neser, the lion-hearted Queenslander who has played two Tests for Australia, was on a hat-trick after just four balls, removing Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sai Sudharsan for ducks, caught at silly point and second slip respectively. Ruturaj Gaikwad narrowly survived the hat-trick ball, edging past Jimmy Peirson down the leg side for four, but nicked off to Neser the following over.
In between times, Scott Boland struck in his first over, with Indian veteran KL Rahul – a part of the Test squad this summer – edging behind for four.
Australia A won the opening match of the series in Mackay by seven wickets.
Originally published as Australia A v India A: Failure for one of the leading contenders to take vacant Test opener spot has opened the door for another
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