Holland spins web around India ‘A’, takes Aussies to emphatic victory
India ‘A’ collapsed to 163 all out on a turning track as leftarm spinner Jon Holland took a six-wicket haul to set up a 98-run victory for Australia ‘A’ in the first unofficial Test at the Chinnaswamy stadium on Wednesday.
Holland bagged nine wickets in the match, surpassing his previous best of 8-68 in the longer format of the game. In the second innings, he bagged six wickets for 81 runs. Australia ‘A’ made a brilliant comeback in the match after they had been skittled out for 243 after the devastating bowling performance by pacer Mohammed Siraj, who ended up with a career-best figures of 8-59 in the first innings.
The visitors then restricted India ‘A’ to 274 all out in their first innings with Michael Neser and Holland, sharing seven wickets among themselves. Though conceding 31 runs lead, Australia did well to post 292 all out in their second innings, setting a 262-run target, after Travis Head made a crucial 87 on a wearing track.
Resuming at overnight 63-2 on fourth and final day’s play, India ‘A’ lost wickets at regular intervals before they folded their second innings at 163.
Opener Mayank Agarwal, who was batting at overnight score of 25, scored a plucky 80. He was the only batsman who weathered Australian attack led by Holland.
At 106 for three after Ankit Bawne’s departure (25), India ‘A’ lost three quick wickets, including Srikar Bharat and Krishnappa Gowtham’s, who failed to open their accounts. Holland and Brendan Doggett ran through the lower order batsmen by sharing four wickets among themselves, as India ‘A’ slumped from 126 for 6 to 163 all out. India ‘A’ coach Rahul Dravid said that inform batsman Ankit Bawne’s wicket was probably the turning point of the game.
“May be, Ankit’s wicket could have been the turning point. It was unfortunate that the way he got out. If Mayank and Bawne had batted a bit longer. so who knows,” he told reporters at the postmatch press conference.