India A chased down a target of 412 to beat Australia A in Lucknow — the highest successful run chase by an ‘A’ side in history. At the heart of this victory were KL Rahul (176*) and Sai Sudharsan (100). Captain Dhruv Jurel also played a crucial role, scoring a quick fifty to help his team secure a five-wicket win and seal the series 1-0.
After retiring hurt yesterday, Rahul came out to bat after the dismissal of Manav Suthar early on Day 4. Familiar with the conditions, he picked up where he had left off on Day 3. Despite reportedly suffering from a fever, Rahul showed no signs of rustiness and produced yet another batting masterclass.
This was Rahul’s first outing since the fifth and final Test of the England tour in London. He did not feature in the Duleep Trophy. Added to the squad for this match, Rahul has warmed up for the West Indies Tests with a big century — his first first-class hundred on home soil since 2016. Another member of the senior India Test team, Sai, followed up his 75 in the first innings with a century in the second. The left-handed batter reached three figures a day after chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar said: “Sai has shown a lot of promise. He’s a very good player. Hopefully, we can give him a longish run from now on at a particular number.”
No. 3 could be the position where Sai is given an extended run. In three innings against Australia A, he batted at No. 3 and passed fifty on all three occasions. The in-form batter looks set to repay the selectors’ trust in his first home Test series, starting October 2.
The 143-run partnership between Rahul and Sai did not allow Australia A to get back into the game. There was a small opening, however, when Sai was dismissed, with India A still needing 145 runs to win. With the new ball around the corner, the Australia A bowlers would have fancied their chances of triggering a collapse — but Jurel’s counter-attacking knock, well supported by Rahul, produced another hundred-run stand. By the time Jurel was dismissed, India were within touching distance of victory.
As the home season fast approaches, players selected for the West Indies Tests have shown encouraging form, with Rahul and Sai impressing in the second game and Jurel and Devdutt Padikkal standing out in the first.
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