India went from 347/5 to 358 all out on the second day of the practice match against Cricket Australia XI at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Prithvi Shaw top-scored for India with 66 runs against Cricket Australia XI. (Source: AP)
India’s practice match before the four-match Test series against Australia got underway on Thursday at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) with the visitors piling on 358 runs against Cricket Australia XI. In reply, CA XI were 24/0 at stumps. Indian batsmen made merry of a largely inexperienced hosts XI with five fifties coming from players at the top of the order while KL Rahul’s miserable form with the bat continued. Owing to the contest not getting a first-class status, India went in with a 14-member team for the practice game. First day of the practice game was washed out completely with the toss getting pushed too. At the toss, Cricket Australia XI decided to field.
Fifties by Prithvi Shaw (66), Cheteshwar Pujara (54), Virat Kohli (64), Ajinkya Rahane (56) and Hanuma Vihari (53) took India to a commanding position with only Rahane retiring not out. With Rohit Sharma’s dismissal on 40, India lost their way from 347/6 to be dismissed for 358 with ducks for R Ashwin, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav. Rishabh Pant remained the unbeaten batsman for 11.
Virat Kohli scored 64 runs before being dismissed by Aaron Hardie. (Source: AP)
Aaron Hardie picked up four wickets for Cricket Australia where he picked up the wickets of Kohli, Rohit, Ashwin and Shami. Elsewhere, Jackson Coleman, Luke Robbins, Daniel Fallins and D’Arcy Short – the only player with international experience – picking up one wicket each.
After bowling India out for 358, Cricket Australia put together 24/0 with D’Arcy Short unbeaten on 10 and Max Bryant on 14 runs. This puts CA XI behind by 334 runs with two more days to be played.
India team for practice match: Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane (vc), KL Rahul, Prithvi Shaw, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, M Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Murali Vijay.
Cricket Australia XI: D’Arcy Short, Max Bryant, Jake Carder, Sam Whiteman (c), Param Uppal, Harry Nielsen (wk), Jonathan Merlo, Aaron Hardie, Luke Robins, Jackson Coleman, Daniel Fallins. Aaron Summers (12th)
