Australia A’s total of 275 proved too many for India A as the visitors won the second unofficial ODI by 69 runs to seal the three-match series 2-0 with a game to spare. Sam Konstas and Josh Philippe’s 101-run stand for the second wicket set up the total, and India A’s chase never recovered from an early slide, with Rajat Patidar’s 67 the only substantial score as the hosts were bowled out for 206.
Australia A, opting to bat after winning the toss, got off to a flying start courtesy Mitchell Owen, who took 17 runs off the first over by Arshad Khan and raced to 25 off just 12 balls before holing out off Yash Thakur’s bowling. Konstas and Philippe then settled the innings, building steadily through the middle overs and taking the score past 100 before accelerating.
Philippe brought up a 53-ball fifty and kept finding the boundary before he pulled one straight to mid-wicket for 58, ending the 101-run stand. Konstas went on to make his own half-century, eventually falling for 67 off 88 balls, top-edging a pull to the keeper. Nathan McSweeney made a watchful 32 before he was run out in a mix-up, and Lachlan Shaw’s knock 25 ended when he skied one against Vipraj Nigam to deep mid-wicket.
From being 207 for 3 in the 37th over and looking set for a total over 300, Australia A lost wickets steadily and were eventually all out for 275 in 49.5 overs. Arshad, finding reverse swing, finished with 3 for 56 while Thakur used his cutters well for figures of 2 for 46.
India A’s chase was undone early, with all three of Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal and Ruturaj Gaikwad falling inside the Powerplay. Padikkal holed out to third man, Gaikwad fell to a superb take by Spencer Johnson in the same area whereas Sudharsan was bounced out by a short ball from Riley Meredith. Patidar then top-scored with a controlled 67, first adding 29 runs off 56 balls and then 46 with Nishant Sindhu for the fifth.
Patidar, who brought up his second fifty of the series, was eventually caught at deep mid-wicket off another short ball from Johnson, who finished with 3 for 35. From 134 for 6, India A slipped away quickly, with Suryansh Shedge, Nigam and Arshad all falling cheaply despite some late hitting from Nigam. Anukul Roy fought on at the other end for an unbeaten 34, striking two fours and two sixes, the last-wicket stand broke when Thakur was caught behind off Owen in the 46th over.
Brief scores: Australia A 275 all-out in 49.5 overs (Sam Konstas 67, Josh Philippe 58; Arshad Khan 3-56, Yash Thakur 2-46) beat India A 206 all-out in 45.2 overs (Rajat Patidar 67; Spencer Johnson 3-35, Riley Meredith 2-31) by 69 runs.