Discarded Test opener Gautam Gambhir and Manoj Tiwary sounded the warning signal for their rivals and knocked at the doors of the selectors with magnificent centuries against Australia in the three-day tour match. They handled the Australian bowling attack with full determination and confidence and gave the edge to their team over the Kangaroos.
Support Independent Journalism? Keep us live.
India A scored 451 in the first innings after winning the toss and elected to bat first. Gambhir scored 112, while Manoj Tiwary made 129. Rohit Sharma too contributed 77. Xavier Doherty and Ashton Charles Agar took three wickets each. Nathan Lyon took two wickets. Mitchell Starc and Peter Siddle failed to impress.
Despite a 116-run opening stand between Shane Watson (84) and Ed Cowan (40), Australia bowled out for 235 and had to follow on. Matthew Wade scored 44. For India, Rakesh Dhurv took five wickets, while Jalaj Saxena took four wickets. Australia batted well in the second innings and finished at 195/3. Shane Watson and Ed Cowan scored 60 and 53 respectively. The match ended in a draw, but India A got the honours for their power-packed performance.