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Match Report:

Scorecard

Australia A spinner bags six wickets

Handscomb and Stoinis help Australia A recover after Steve O'Keefe cleaned up India A

Australia A have enjoyed a solid workout on the second day of their tour clash against India A in Chennai.

Chasing India A’s first innings total of 301, Australia were in trouble early at 4-75 but Victorian teammates Peter Handscomb and Marcus Stoinis combined for an unbeaten 110-run stand to steady the tourists to 4-185 late in the day.

India A resumed day two at 6-221 with Shankar Vijay (4no) and Amit Mishra (0no) taking strike against Aussie quicks Gurinder Sandhu and Sean Abbott, who were keen to continue their disciplined bowling display that had strangled India’s scoring yesterday.

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Shankar Vijay in action on day two // BCCI

Runs were hard to come by again in the first session with 62 runs squeezed out from 31 overs. It was a staunch partnership from Vijay and Mishra, who looked mostly untroubled but didn’t capitalise to trouble the Aussies with scoreboard pressure.

O’Keefe eventually struck with two wickets in one over. First he trapped Mishra lbw for 43 from 115 then he snared Abhimanyu Mithun for a duck two balls later as India headed into lunch at 8-289.

Vijay’s patience was rewarded with a half-century ajust after the break, but tailenders Umesh Yadav (1) and Pragyan Ojha (2) couldn’t stick with him and both fell to O’Keefe’s spin.

O’Keefe picked up the last four wickets to bag 6-82 for the innings on a hard deck still offering plenty for the quicks and batsmen.

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Steve O'Keefe was impressive on day two // BCCI

Vijay was left stranded on 51, with India A all out for 301.

The question then was whether 301 would be a competitive total on a pitch that, by India standards, was good for batting.

Promising Western Australia opener Cameron Bancroft went early, caught behind for two off medium-fast bowler Mithun, but captain Usman Khawaja and Travis Head weren’t perturbed. Their first five overs went at a brisk run-a-ball, which could have been more but for an impressive fielding display from the Indians.

The introduction of Ojha’s spin reaped quick rewards. Head’s entertaining innings ended when he holed out for 31, Khawaja departed for 25 on his international return from knee surgery and Nic Maddinson went straight after tea for a duck to a peach of a delivery.

After the dust had settled, Ojha’s three quick wickets reduced Australia A to 4-75.

Handscomb and Stoinis’ rescue partnership began slowly but steadily, ticking off the small milestones as they set about rebuilding Australia’s innings.

A 50-run partnership. Fifty for Handscomb. The 150 up for Australia.

As the total ticked along, the two Victorians’ array of shots increased, proving there’s a lot of runs left in this pitch for batsmen who can get themselves in.

Handscomb (75no) and Stoinis (42no) will resume unbeaten on day three with Australia A 116 runs shy of India’s first innings total.

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