India A kicked off the unofficial ODI series in Kanpur with a commanding 171-run victory over Australia A on Wednesday. Opener Priyansh Arya and captain Shreyas Iyer both scored brilliant, match-winning centuries. Although the first day was washed out due to rain, the match was played on the reserve day.
Priyansh provided a strong start at the top. The southpaw smashed 101 runs and shared a 135-run opening partnership with Prabhsimran Singh. Iyer, playing his first 50-over match since the Champions Trophy, scored a classy 110 runs, including 12 boundaries and four sixes. For top-scoring in the match, Iyer was named Player of the Match for his brilliant performance.
There were also quickfire contributions from Riyan Parag (67) and Ayush Badoni (50). All of the top five batters passed the 50-run mark. Their combined effort propelled the team to a massive total of 413 for 6 in 50 overs.
Australia A also made a solid start to their chase. The visitors were progressing well at 116 for 2, but once Cooper Connolly was dismissed, their innings collapsed. They were bowled out for 242 in just 33.1 overs. Opener Mackenzie Harvey scored 68, Lachlan Shaw added 45, and captain Will Sutherland contributed 50, but the rest of the batting line-up failed to make an impact.
Left-arm spinner Nishant Sindhu was the most successful bowler, taking four wickets for just 60 runs in 6.1 overs. Ravi Bishnoi claimed two crucial wickets, while Yudhvir Singh, Gurjapneet Singh, Simarjeet Singh and Ayush Badoni took one each.
India A now lead the three-match series, and their squad will be further strengthened by capped Indian players such as Tilak Varma, Arshdeep Singh, Abhishek Sharma, and Harshit Rana.
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