Suryansh Shedge, Gurjapneet Singh give India A consolation win
Suryansh Shedge scored 66 and Gurjapneet Singh took three wickets as India A beat Australia A by 49 runs in the inconsequential third one-day match.
Suryansh Shedge’s brisk half-century and Gurjapneet Singh’s three-wicket haul powered India A to a 49-run victory over Australia A in the third and final one-day match in Puducherry on Sunday. The result, however, had no impact on the series outcome, with Australia A claiming the contest 2-1.
Shedge anchored India A’s recovery with a 66 off 60 deliveries, while Vipraj Nigam chipped in with 40 from the lower order. The duo stitched together an 85-run partnership for the seventh wicket, rescuing the hosts from 159 for six before India A were dismissed for 275. Gurjapneet triggered a collapse by dismissing Nathan McSweeney, and Australia A lost their next seven wickets for 86 runs to finish at 226.
Australia A had taken an unassailable 2-0 lead by winning the first two matches by 125 and 69 runs on October 6 and October 9 respectively. Nigam’s all-round efforts earned him the Player-of-the-Match award.
CricHubb Take
The series loss masks a deeper issue. India A’s middle order collapsed twice in the first two games; only when the lower order rescued them in the dead rubber did the side post a competitive total. That pattern needs fixing before the senior tour.