Padikkal, Sudharsan, Gaikwad disappoint as India A succumb to Australia by 69 runs, lose series

PUDUCHERRY: Josh Philippe and Sam Konstas hit aggressive half-centuries and pacer Spencer Johnson struck crucial blows as Australia A beat India A by 69 runs in the second one-day match here on Friday.

With this win, Australia A also took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

But along with the series defeat, the hosts will also be disappointed with the second straight failure of India batters Devdutt Padikkal, Sai Sudharsan and Ruturaj Gaikwad.

Konstas (67, 88b) and Philippe (58, 58b) shared a 101-run alliance for the second wicket, the cornerstone of Australia’s 275 all out.

Rajat Patidar made an 82-ball 67 but India A’s chase folded at 206 with a little over four overs remaining.

Philippe’s innings was very well-paced, atoning for his cheap dismissal in the first match.

The 29-year-old creamed Nishant Sindhu for a couple of fours in a row, including a sweet inside-out drill through extra-cover.

Philippe reached his fifty off 53 balls when he pulled pacer Yash Thakur for a boundary.

At the other end, Konstas was relatively more sedate, even though he had pulled six off pacer Arshad Khan early in his knock.

Konstas touched fifty in 69 balls. But the pair could not stay on for a bigger score as Philippe fell to Sindhu and Konstas to Arshad.

Australia A were 168 for three in 30 overs at that point. But India kept on striking at regular intervals to restrict the tourists to 107 runs in the final 20 overs while plucking the remaining seven wickets.

That target was not an imposing one but India A were hurt by the early departures of Padikkal (1), Gaikwad (12) and Sudharsan (13).

It meant that India A were 30 for three in the ninth over with a rather inexperienced line-up following.

Patidar was the only seasoned name in the middle-order, and he made an 82-ball 67 but he never really had the expected support from the other end.

In fact, the biggest stand in the home side’s innings was a 51-run partnership for the fifth wicket between Patidar and Sindhu.

But once Patidar fell to Johnson, there was no real fight left in the Indian ranks.

Johnson also had the scalps of Padikkal and Suryansh Shedge in his kitty.

Brief scores: Australia A: 275 all out in 49.5 overs (Josh Philippe 58, Sam Konstas 67; Arshad Khan 3/56) beat India A: 206 all out in 45.2 overs (Rajat Patidar 67, Anukul Roy 34 not out; Spencer Johnson 3/35) by 69 runs.