Agar impresses again in practice match

Ashton Agar has again impressed in Australia's intra-squad practice match in Dubai, posting an unbeaten 74 on the second day of the game at the ICC Global Cricket Academy.

Quick Single: Agar, Marsh press case on day one

Fresh from taking four wickets on Friday, the left-hander hit 11 fours and a six to post the highest score of the match so far before he retired out just after the tea break.

But while Agar fired, opener David Warner missed another chance for a long stint in the middle, falling for 26 having been dismissed for a duck on the opening day. 

Australia's preparations for the upcoming Qantas Tour of India tour have stepped up a notch this weekend with the practice match pitting teammates against each other.

The match gives the squad a break from the confines of the nets and puts them in a competitive environment, and although the playing conditions and make-up of the competing 'teams' are relaxed, the cricket has been anything but.

And Agar has impressed as much as anyone so far, joining fellow Western Australian Mitchell Marsh (53) in posting a half-century on day two.

After elder brother Shaun did his chances of a Test recall no harm on Friday with an innings of 62, Mitchell pushed his own case by hitting five fours and a six before he was bowled by fellow allrounder Glenn Maxwell, one of his main rivals for a spot in the Test XI for the opening Test in Pune.

Usman Khawaja also enjoyed some time in the middle, hitting six fours and making 39 before he was caught at 'short leg' off the bowling of uncapped legspinner Mitchell Swepson. And we've put apostrophes around 'short leg' because the Australians have been using a plastic chair as a close-in 'fielder' throughout the match and it was adjudged that Khawaja's aerial shot would have been pocketed had 'fielder' actually been a player of any repute.

Spinners Nathan Lyon and Swepson both took two wickets on the second day, while pacemen Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood got through plenty of overs

But the NSW pacemen were unable to get an early breakthrough on Saturday as Khawaja and Marsh started brightly.

Off-spinners Lyon and Maxwell were brought on after the fast men had their opening burst and the dismissal of Marsh brought Warner to the crease for another chance after his dismissal yesterday.

The wicket of Khawaja a short time later brought Agar to the crease but the pair of left-handers made it to lunch, surviving another spell from Starc.

Lyon made a double strike in the second session when he dismissed Warner (leg before wicket) and Steve O'Keefe (caught at mid-wicket for 0) in the same over to bring Maxwell to the crease.

The Victorian hit three boundaries and moved to 21 before he pushed a catch to Starc at extra cover to give Swepson his second, but Agar stood firm and looked at ease in his 118-ball innings.

Tail-enders Jackson Bird (41 retired with six boundaries), O'Keefe (30no from 70 balls) and Lyon (8no from 22 balls) all had a bat in the final session while skipper Steve Smith bowled some leg-spin before stumps was called.