Khawaja hundred saves Australia A

Usman Khawaja struck a timely century on day one of Australia A's four-day match against India A in Bangalore where seam dominated spin.

Khawaja's 127 was the backbone of Australia A's total of 243, while Queensland teammate Marnus Labuschagne posted 60 and NSW's Kurtis Patterson 31.

India A seamer Mohammed Siraj was the chief destroyer for the hosts, picking up 8-59 from 19.3 overs including the first five Australian wickets to fall.

With a dozen overs left to play, Australia A's bowlers could not find a breakthrough as India A's openers safely negotiated the tricky period to be 0-41 at stumps.

Khawaja's innings, compiled from 228 balls and featured 20 boundaries, was the left-hander's maiden first-class century in India and will likely secure his place in Australia's first Test XI against Pakistan in the UAE next month.

Khawaja's poor Test record in Asia – an average of 14.62 in nine innings – and infrequent selection in spinning conditions may have counted against him, but Sunday's score will have undoubtedly please the national selectors, who are set to name the Pakistan Test series squad at the conclusion of the series.

While Khawaja took advantage of his first innings of the two-match series, Australia A's middle order all missed out, combining for just four runs between Travis Head at first-drop and No.5 Mitch Marsh, who as captain won the toss and elected to bat.

Head was caught behind for four, Peter Handscomb trapped lbw first ball to bring the first session to a close before Marsh fell in the same fashion for a four-ball duck.

That's when Khawaja linked up with Labuschagne and the pair put on 114 for the fifth wicket.

Labuschagne was not in the initial 14-man squad but a hamstring injury to opening batsman Matt Renshaw and a green pitch saw the right-hander retained from the preceding one-day squad and included in the XI.

He struck 11 fours before he became Siraj's fifth victim of the day, bowled in the 64th over.

The next five wickets fell for 34 runs in 12.2 overs, with Kuldeep Yadav – the left-arm wrist-spinner who played the second Test for India in the ongoing series in England – removing Alex Carey for four and Brendan Doggett for zero, one of five Australia A batsman to be dismissed without scoring.

Khawaja was the last man out, caught behind, and Siraj's eighth wicket to bring an end of the tourists first innings.

Australia A's new-ball attack of Chris Tremain (0-15) and Brendan Doggett (0-23) bowled four overs each without luck, as Mayank Agarwal (31no) and Ravikumar Samarth (10no) batted out the day.

Australia A Tour of India

Australia A four-day squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Alex Carey (vc), Ashton Agar, Brendan Doggett, Peter Handscomb, Travis Head, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Michael Neser, Joel Paris, Kurtis Patterson, Matthew Renshaw, Mitch Swepson, Chris Tremain

Four-day fixtures in Bengaluru

2-5 September v India A

8-11 September v India A