Australia A close in on 2-0 series win

Australia A are six wickets away from completing a 2-0 series whitewash over India A after another dominant day at Allan Border Field in Brisbane.

At stumps, India A are 4-158, still needing 109 more runs to make the home side bat a second time in this match, with Akhil Herwadkar (82) and Sanju Samson (34) the not out batsmen and Jon Holland the key man with the ball.

Earlier, Hilton Cartwright completed a fine century on his Australia A debut and Sam Whiteman posted 51 as the Western Australian pair ensured a sizeable lead for the hosts. 

Cartwright, unbeaten on 99 overnight, was forced to endure a frustrating eight-minute wait between the time he scratched out his guard until play actually began.

The delay was due to a mix-up with the ball, which was eventually resolved but not before the tension for Cartwright had mounted considerably.

When play did begin, he pulled the second ball of the morning behind square for two to bring up three figures.

The 24-year-old kicked on to make 117, before becoming Shardul Thakur's fourth victim when he edged behind, India A captain Naman Ojha taking a good catch to send the centurion on his way.

Whiteman was increasingly positive as he settled in for his finest hand to date across the first-class matches of this Winter 'A' series.

The keeper-batsman was strong on the off-side particularly, driving through the cover region regularly as he set about building Australia A's lead into what is shaping as a match-winning one.

He found capable support in Redbacks quick Kane Richardson (19), who happily demonstrated his prowess with the willow via a couple of cracking boundaries through point and midwicket before he was well caught in close from the off-spin of Jayant Yadav.

Whiteman fell a short time later, Varun Aaron drawing an edge that was spectacularly caught by Karun Nair at first slip, diving low to his right.

India A pair Jayant Yadav (3-95) and Thakur (5-101) each struck after lunch, removing Jackson Bird (24) and Chadd Sayers (7) respectively to end the Australian innings.

In response, India's opening pair, Herwadkar and Faiz Fazal (29), rode their luck, surviving a number of chances to put together 84 for the first wicket.

Herwadkar was the beneficiary when Nic Maddinson spilled a relatively straightforward chance from Jackson Bird at first slip, and Holland dropped a simple return offering in his first over to give Fazal a life, while earlier Chadd Sayers missed a run-out opportunity.

Bird then cost Cartwright a wicket when he grassed a difficult chance at leg slip with Herwadkar on 53, and it all amounted to a frustrating middle session for the Australians.

The breakthrough finally came via an almost comedic run-out, with a shy at the striker's end missing before Travis Dean backed up, fired at the other end and hit the stumps with Fazal well out of his ground.

And though he copped some treatment from the Indian batsmen, who looked intent on aggression against spin, Holland bounced back superbly from his embarrassing earlier drop, claiming the next three wickets to fall as the visitors lost 4-16.

Herwadkar though, stood firm, and so too did Sanju Samson, the pair ensuring this contest would survive into a fourth day.