India A vs Australia A, Highlights: After Sri Lanka Snub, Pragyan Ojha Proves a Point to Selectors with 5/85
Pragyan Ojha picked up five for 85 as Australia A folded for 268 in reply to India A's first innings score of 301. Indians have taken a 154-run lead. Catch all the highlights of Day 3.
Pragyan Ojha's magic worked on Day 3 as the left-arm spinner proved a point to the selectors by claiming a five-wicket haul and help India A gain an all important lead. Ojha has been left out of the Test squad for next month's Sri Lanka tour.
Catch all the Highlights of Day 3 (All times in IST):
17:50: It's the end of play on Day 3. India are 121 for three in 46 overs with a lead of 154 runs. Abhinav Mukund (40) and Cheteshwar Pujara (42) missed out on fifties. Karun Nair (4*) and Shreyas Iyer (4*) are the the two not out batsmen. Earlier, Pragyan Ojha, who has been ignored by selectors for India's tour of Sri Lanka next month, picked up a five-wicket haul (5/85) as Australia A folded for 268 in reply to India A's first innings total of 301. Amit Mishra bagged three wickets. Indian spinners took eight of the nine Australia A wickets to fall.
17:18 OUT! Pujara is gone for 42, a mini-collapse for the Indians. India A 117/3.
17:11 OUT! Mukund falls ten short of a half-century. India A 110/2.
16:43 Pujara and Mukund well settled as they negotiate the Aussie bowlers. India A 106/1.
16:05 India A extending their lead as it crosses three figures. India A 84/1.
15:32: Mukund and Pujara are striking up a good partnership here. Pujara (16 off 19 balls) has got off to a pretty quick start. IND A 60/1
15:15: OUT! Lokesh Rahul departs for 29. Travis Head gets the wicket. India A now lead by 76 runs.
14:30: Tea: Indian openers Rahul and Mukund off to a steady start, extend lead. India A 20/0
© BCCI
13:50: OUT! All over! Amit Mishra gets Feteke and India have a 33-run lead. Very impressive performance from the Indian spinning duo. AUS 'A' 268 all out. Ojha 5/85, Mishra 3/55
13:38 Meanwhile let's take a look at the highlights of the previous day. It was a mixed day for both teams. Vijay Shankar's 51 not out guided India A to 301 before Pragyan Ojha's three-wicket burst had the Aussies reeling at 75/4. Handscomb and Stoinis helped the visitors recover to 185/4 at stumps. (Watch Video)
13:27: The last pair of O'Keefe and Fekete frustrating India with some valuable runs. Australia A 261/9.
13:04: OUT! Number nine gone! Sean Abbott (7) runs himself out! Umesh Yadav the fielder. And OUT! Ojha gets a five-wicket haul as Sandhu goes for a duck. Boy! Did the new action just made Ojha more dangerous? AUS 'A' 248/9
12:50: OUT! Fourth one for Ojha as Stoinis (77) walks back after lunch. This is a big blow as India could well manage a substantial lead here now. AUS 'A' 246/7
12:25: Huge news for India 'A' as the Indian skipper Virat Kohli has decided to feature in their next game. Kohli is looking for some match practice before the Lanka series and will like to get in the groove with some valuable time in the middle. But first, he wants something from the Indian fans! What? Find out here.
12:00: Lunch. Session to India A with Mishra picking up a couple of wickets but Stoinis (75*) has been stoic and is looking good for a big one. India need to remove him as soon as possible after lunch.
11:50: OUT! Mishra again! The leggie is definitely on a high after his return to the Indian Test squad. He gets the wicket of Matthew Wade (2) now. With six down for 239, the Aussies are in a spot of bother here. All eyes on Stoinis now.
11:19 OUT! Mishra has the breakthrough and Handscomb is gone for 91. Australia 229/5.
10:55 Aussies are moving closer to the India A total. The hosts need a wicket and a quick one at that. Australia 217/4.
10:33 No wicket yet for the Indians. The visitors slowly reducing the deficit. Australia A 209/4.
10:10 India A searching for a quick breakthrough. Handscomb and Stoinis will look to add more runs. Australia A 190/4.
© BCCI
Earlier on Day 2, an unbeaten fifty from Vijay Shankar helped India 'A' get to a respectable 301. Starting the day at 221 for six, Shankar and Amit Mishra (23) added valuable 62 runs before the tail collapsed for just 18 runs. ( Ojha Picks Three, Australia A 185/4 at Stumps)
Shankar on his 'A' team debut played a dogged unbeaten 51 off 135 balls with five fours and a six. For Australia A, Steve O'Keefe was the most successful bowler with figures of 6/82 in 31.3 overs. (Mishra Spins Back to India Test Squad)
Australia 'A' lost opener Cameron Bancroft (20) early when he nicked one off Abhimanyu Mithun to Naman Ojha behind stumps. Skipper Usman Khawaja (25) and Travis Head (31) added 50-runs for the second wicket before Ojha ripped through the top order. In the 24th over, Ojha got two wickets as Khawaja holed out at deep mid-wicket to Abhinav Mukund while Nic Maddinson was caught by Karun Nair.
Stuggling at 75/4, Peter Handscomb (75 not out) joined hands with Marcus Stoinis (42 batting) and played out 34 overs adding 110-runs. The Indian spinners dominated the day with Ojha ending the day with three scalps and Mishra, who was named in India's Test side to tour Sri Lanka, bowled 16 tight overs for 33 runs but went wicketless.