Just when it seemed that KL Rahul would convert his fifty into a hundred, he had to walk off the field retired hurt — but not before his 74 led India A’s fightback in the second innings, as they ended Day 3 on 169 for 2. The hosts need 243 runs to win the second unofficial Test against Australia A in Lucknow.
Rahul had to return to the pavilion as he is suffering from a fever. While he was batting in the heat of Lucknow, the Indian Test squad for the upcoming series against the West Indies was announced. The squad includes only two specialist openers — Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
With Rahul feeling unwell, the decision to walk off was a wise one. The 33-year-old, who has previously batted in the middle order in home Tests, scored over 500 runs as an opener during the England tour.
Opening for India A, Rahul had a disappointing outing in the first innings, scoring just 11 off 24 balls as his team was bowled out for 194.
In the second innings, he came better prepared. Rather than taking time to settle in, he appeared to be in a positive frame of mind from the outset, looking to score runs.
N Jagadeesan, who has been picked for the West Indies Tests, once again looked solid but failed to convert his start. Top scorer in the first innings, Sai Sudharsan, who is set to bat at No. 3 against the West Indies, is unbeaten on 44. The left-hander will be key to the run chase on the final day.
Devdutt Padikkal couldn’t celebrate his Test recall with a big knock, as he was dismissed for 5.
Earlier in the day, Mohammed Siraj gave his team a perfect start by removing Cooper Connolly. After that, the fringe players impressed. Gurnoor Brar, who has been selected in the Rest of India squad, finished with three wickets. Manav Suthar also claimed three wickets, taking his tally to eight in the match.
Yash Thakur, who replaced Prasidh Krishna yesterday, helped clean up the tail with two wickets. The right-arm pacer will be in action in the Irani Cup for Vidarbha.
An all-round effort from the bowlers helped India A restrict Australia A under 200.
The onus tomorrow will be on the likes of Nitish Kumar Reddy, Dhruv Jurel and Ayush Badoni to support Sudharsan in the run chase.
For More Sports Related News: Follow RevSportz