Sport

India ‘A’ wilts under pace attack

— Photo: K. Pichumani

YORKED: India ‘A’s Dinesh Karthik is beaten all ends up by this scorcher from Shaun Tait on Friday.

Chennai: Sweltering heat and hostile fast bowling are not the best of allies. The unlikely pairing was the winning combination for Australia ‘A’ in the final of one-day tri-series at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Friday.

Shaun Tait & Co. turned up the heat, and the hapless India ‘A’ batsmen lost the duel mentally. India ‘A’ chasing 304 was hustled out for 147 in 32 overs.

It was a no-contest after Suresh Raina inserted the opposition. The Indian bowlers failed to maintain pressure with an inconsistent line.

In the afternoon, Shaun Tait sent down three wides but also sent Dinesh Karthik’s off-stump cartwheeling with a yorker. Tait celebrated with a clenched fist, Karthik looked skywards for solace. Out-of-form and pushed into the opener’s role, Karthik’s horror run continued.

At the other end, Brett Geeves made No. 3 Abhisek Nayar smell leather with a short climbing ball which ’keeper Luke Ronchi collected with a leap. That set Nayar up. The next ball was meekly pushed into mid-off’s hands.

It was baffling why a hard-hitting middle-order batsman was sent on a top-order mission.

Robin Uthappa, under scrutiny and struggling to find his touch, played over a yorker-length delivery from Geeves. India ‘A’ was in a mess at 33 for three in the sixth over.

Skipper Cameron White rung in his first change, replacing Tait with Mark Cameron at the Pavilion End. The young paceman had Ravi Teja nicking one that shaped away. It was now 33 for four.

Scenes of Aussie celebrations and the Indian procession were now becoming monotonous. Raina, the pressure of being the captain weighing on him, pushed Ashley Noffke tamely into mid-off.

Noffke struck again, scalping the in-form Yusuf Pathan. The batsman attempted to strike across the line and the resultant skier was taken at deep mid-wicket. At 65 for six, the contest was settled.

Rohit Sharma, balanced and composed, leaned into a couple of glorious cover drives during a pleasingly aggressive 37-ball 46. And Wriddhiman Saha offered some resistance but there was going to be only one winner in the contest.

Earlier, opener Ronchi’s blitzkrieg (52, 41b, 7x4, 2x6) put Australia ‘A’ on course. No. 3 David Hussey (75, 83b, 4x4, 2x6) was once again solid and positive.

Hussey and skipper White, a heavy-hitter with surprisingly good footwork, added 94 for the third wicket in 17.2 overs. Then, Adam Voges sizzled during his unbeaten 55 (46b, 3x4, 2x6).

Irfan Pathan and Piyush Chawla were good in parts and Yusuf Pathan was restrictive but the India `A’ bowling lacked incision. Australia ‘A’ was a worthy winner.

The scores: Australia ‘A’: L. Ronchi c Saha b Nayar 52, P. Hughes b Irfan 11, D. Hussey b Yousuf 75, C. White c Saha b Chawla 50, M. North b Irfan 6, A. Voges (not out) 55, G. Baily st Saha b Chawla 14, A. Noffke c Saha b Nayar 18, B. Geeves (not out) 11; Extras: (lb-5, nb-1, w-5) 11; Total: (for seven wkts in 50 overs) 303.

Fall of wickets: 1-24, 2-77, 3-171, 4-192, 5-213, 6-238, 7-269.

India ‘A’ bowling: Irfan 10-1-57-2, Praveen 9-0-63-0, Nayar 10-0-74-2, Yousuf 10-0-45-1, Chawla 10-0-53-2, Raina 1-0-6-0.

India ‘A’: D. Karthik b Tait 0, R. Uthappa b Geeves 14, A. Nayar c Hughes b Geeves 1, R. Teja c Ronchi b Cameron 11, S. Raina c Hughes b Noffke 9, R. Sharma c Tait b Geeves 46, Yousuf c White b Noffke 1, W. Saha (not out) 27, Irfan c Noffke b Hussey 11, P. Chawla b Hussey 8, Praveen c Ronchi b White 2; Extras: (lb-1, nb-5, w-11) 17; Total: (in 32 overs) 147.

Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-6, 3-33, 4-33, 5-62, 6-65, 7-105, 8-128, 9-142.

Australia ‘A’ bowling: Tait 5-0-22-1, Geeves 6-0-41-3, Cameron 6-2-21-1, Noffke 4-0-31-2, White 6-0-17-1, Hussey 5-1-14-2.

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