Australia A ram home advantage as WA bowlers fire

Three wickets each from Jhye Richardson and Corey Rocchiccioli, and a late breakthrough from Todd Murphy, has put Australia A in a strong position in the second four-day match against India A. 

The home side went to stumps on the penultimate day at 1-28, needing a further 337 runs to win following the visitors' declaration in the final session. 

The breakthrough came when Victorian Murphy dismissed Test-capped opener Sai Sudharsan for the third consecutive innings with only a handful of overs left in the day. 

Aussie captain Peter Handscomb declared with an hour left after his side reached 4-173 thanks to starts to Sam Konstas (40), Nathan McSweeney (36) and Jason Sangha (44no). 

Beginning day three on 5-122 and facing a deficit of 236, the hosts needed a big partnership from their final pair of recognised batters in Shaik Rasheed and Tanush Kotian. 

However, it wasn't to be as Rocchiccioli (3-33) and Richardson (3-37) took four of the remaining five wickets as India A were bowled out after an additional 17 overs. 

Liam Hatcher (1-40) claimed the day's first victim, bowling Rasheed, before Rocciccioli delivered an off-spinner's dream ball to castle the set right-handed Kotian. 

Richardson was re-introduced and cleaned up the tail as India A were bowled out for a paltry 167. Eight of the 10 wickets to fall were bowled or lbw, highlighting the importance of bowling straight on an occasionally dicey surface.

While Murphy (2-41) took two of the first four wickets to fall the previous evening, he didn't strike at the end of the first innings but his 22 overs were extremely economical. 

There were positive signs in Australia A's second turn at the crease too, with Konstas reaching his highest score of the tour.

The former Test opener might have considered himself unlucky after being on the end of a couple of line-ball 'umpire's calls' in the first match. But in game two he used the crease effectively against spin and was happy to work singles, hitting only one boundary in his 72-ball stay.

Josh Philippe (26) and McSweeney also got starts but couldn't go on, while Handscomb was bowled by a sharp-turning ball from Kotian, consigning him to his second duck of the match. 

Sangha was six runs shy of his half-century when the declaration came, meaning he finished as Australia A's top run-scorer for the series with 162. 

Photo credits: Praveen Raj R-Cricket Association of Pondicherry media

Australia A men's tour of India 2026

1st four-day: India A won by 162 runs

2nd four-day: Sep 29-Oct 2, Puducherry, 2pm AEST

Australia A four-day squad: Brendan Doggett, Jack Edwards, Peter Handscomb, Sam Harper, Liam Hatcher, Campbell Kellaway, Sam Konstas, Nathan McSweeney, Todd Murphy, Fergus O'Neill, Josh Philippe, Jhye Richardson, Corey Rocchiccioli, Jason Sangha, Liam Scott

India A four-day squad: Aman Mokhade, Ayush Pandey, Devdutt Padikkal (c), Sai Sudharsan (vc), Yash Rathod, Shaik Rasheed, Kumar Kushagra (wk), Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Tushar Deshpande, Anshul Kamboj, Praful Hinge, Narayan Jagadeesan (wk), Nachiket Bhute, Vijaykumar Vyshak

1st one-day: Oct 6, Puducherry, 3pm AEDT

2nd one-day: Oct 9, Puducherry, 3pm AEDT

3rd one-day: Oct 11, Puducherry, 3pm AEDT

Australia A one-day squad: Mahli Beardman, Nikhil Chaudhary, Ben Dwarshuis, Spencer Johnson, Sam Konstas, Nathan McSweeney, Riley Meredith, Todd Murphy, Mitch Owen, Josh Philippe, Tanveer Sangha, Liam Scott, Lachlan Shaw, Will Sutherland

India A one-day squad: Priyansh Arya, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal (vc), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Rajat Patidar, Kumar Kushagra (wk), Nishant Sindhu, Vipraj Nigam, Arshin Kulkarni, Arshad Khan, Naman Dhir, Hardik Pandya, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Gurjapneet Singh, Yash Thakur