Tri-Series Final, Highlights: Gurkeerat 87* Helps India A Win Tri-Series Final
India A beat Australia A to win the tri-series final. Catch all the highlights here.
India A rode on Gurkeerat's 87 not out to reach their target with with 39 balls to spare. Catch all the highlights here::
* Finally, India A have broken the mojo that Australia A have had on this entire tour. They lost and drew the two first-class games, lost both the one-day encounters before coming out on top in the final. Australia A will be disappointed with their collapse in the middle overs and they ended up with a below-par total. On the other hand, India A also lost wickets at regular intervals but they were rescued by Gurkeerat Singh's unbeaten 87 and his partnership with Sanju Samson got India A over the line.
* India A have won the tri-series tournament. A magnificent moment for the team and Gurkeerat Singh is the star for the team. He slams a four and two sixes to seal victory in style. It is his unbeaten 87, combined with an unbeaten 87-run stand with Sanju Samson have given India A a magnificent four-wicket win.
* The partnership between Gurkeerat and Sanju Samson has now crossed fifty. The game is slipping away from Australia A as India A come closer to the target. India A 196/6 in 40 overs, needing 31 runs for victory.
* In Galle, Rahane has created a world record. He has become the first player in Test history to take eight catches in a match. Catch all the highlights here.
* A fine fifty from Gurkeerat Singh and it could potentially be a match-winning one. He gets it with a boundary off Agar and the knock has included five fours so far. India A need him to hang in there. India A 182/6, needing 45 runs in 13 overs.
* Gurkeerat continues to bat positively and he is slowly pushing India A closer to the target with some help from Sanju Samson. India A 169/6 in 35 overs, needing 58 more for victory.
* Gurkeerat Singh is now the key for India A. With Sanju Samson yet to come, India A are still in with a chance. India A are 156/6 after 31 overs, needing 71 runs more for victory.
* Just when Australia A needed the wicket, Gurinder Sandhu delivers. Axar Patel c Khawaja b Sandhu 16 (21).
Short and wide delivery from Sandhu outside off, Axar attempts to pull but ends up miscuing it completely and short midwicket takes the catch. India A 142/6 in the 29th over.
* After the dismissal of Kedar Jadhav for 29 by Adam Zampa, both Gurkeerat Singh and Axar Patel have staged a confident partnership to keep the hosts in the match. Australia A will be looking to break this partnership quickly. India A are 137/5 in 27 overs, needing another 90 runs for victory.
* While India A are fighting back in Chennai, the senior team is fighting hard against Sri Lanka in Galle. Chandimal is on 98 and the lead is 71. Catch all the action here.
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* Kedar Jadhav is batting confidently and has stroked five fours in his knock so far. India A need a partnership and they need Jadhav to fire. India A 105/4 in 21 overs, needing another 122 runs in 29 overs.
* Drinks in Chennai and India A need to mount a fightback here. However, in Galle, India have broken a stubborn partnership. Catch the action here.
* WICKET! India A continue the free fall. Manish Pandey, the centurion from the previous match, goes. Manish Pandey LBW Agar 9 (19).
Agar pushes this quicker delivery through and the line is on leg stump, Pandey goes on the back foot and looks to flick but he misses and gets hit on the pad.
* WICKET! This is a procession now. Karun Nair is snapped up by Nathan Coulter-Nile. Karun Nair c Wade b Coulter-Nile 0 (2).
Coulter-Nile gets this short of a length ball to cut back in and Nair is late in getting the bat down. The ball takes the inside edge and Wade snaps it. There is plenty of doubt whether there was an edge but he is given out. Australia A on top in Chennai.
* WICKET! Unmukt Chand goes and India A are in a bit of bother. Unmukt Chand c Burns b Agar 24 (27).
Chand tries to go over cover but he ends up mistiming it and he offers a simple catch. India A have lost both the openers and the match is evenly poised. India A are 64/2 after 11 overs.
* WICKET! Mayank Agarwal falls in a most unfortunate way. Mayank Agarwal run-out 32 (29).
Unmukt Chand pushes the full ball to point and sets off for a quick single. The throw at the striker's end is accurate and Agarwal is inside the crease. However, there is a problem. In the process of avoiding the throw, Agarwal's feet are in the air and he has NOT grounded his bat. He is given the marching orders.
* Much like Australia A, the India A openers have notched up the fifty-partnership in the ninth over and both are looking comfortable. Australia A will be hoping that their spinners can repeat the performances of the India A spinners. India A are 59/0 in the ninth over, needing a further 168 runs for victory.
* India A have started brightly in their chase of 227. Mayank Agarwal, who blasted 176 against South Africa A, has gotten going with two boundaries. India A 20/0 after three overs.
* In Galle, India are on the cusp of victory as Ravichandran Ashwin and Amit Mishra take the wickets of Kumar Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews. Relive all the action here.
* Australia A started off brightly with Usman Khawaja and Joe Burns sharing an 82-run opening partnership. However, the introduction of Axar Patel and Karn Sharma stifled them. Karn was the star with 3/37 while Axar picked up 2/25. Australia A somehow managed to bat the full 50 overs but they will be disappointed with their score of 226/9. India A will fancy their chances of chasing this total down.
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* Australia A have managed to bat out the full 50 overs but they have managed just 226/9 in the end. Karn Sharma and Axar Patel were the stars with the ball and India A will fancy their chances.
* Another one goes and India A are running through Australia A. Agar c Karun Nair b Axar Patel 15 (25).
Australia A are finding the fielders to perfection. Agar comes down the track and lofts it to long-on where the fielder does not have to move an inch to take the catch. Australia A are 194/7 in the 44th over. Can they last the 50 overs?
* Australia A are in serious trouble of not batting out their full 50 overs. Callum Ferguson, the last recognised batsman falls. Ferguson c Agarwal b Gurkeerat Singh 21 (41).
Gurkeerat flights this delivery on the pads and Ferguson comes down the track to slog it to deep midwicket but he finds the fielder there. India A well on top here.
* Meanwhile, over at Galle, Kumar Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews are fighting hard against India A as they build a solid partnership. Catch all the action here.
* Karn Sharma is on fire here. He gets Usman Khawaja and Matthew Wade and Australia A are in trouble. The Australia A skipper holes out to long-off for 72 while Matthew Wade is give out LBW for 1. However, the ball might have been going over the stumps and Australia A are in trouble at 164/5.
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* India A are making a comeback thanks to the spinners. Karn Sharma gets the wicket of Travis Head for 20 as the batsman clips a flighted delivery straight to short midwicket while Karun Nair takes out Chris Lynn for 7. Australia A are 152/2 with Usman Khawaja holding firm on 72.
* Khawaja's fifty on return has bolstered the Aussies in the final. They are 137/1 in 26 overs with Khawaja batting on 67. Travis Head is 20 not out.
* India A finally get the wicket. Gurkeerat Singh gets the big wicket of Joe Burns. Burns c and b Gurkeerat 41 (46).
Gurkeerat bowls this shortish off break and it stops on Burns who tries to turn it to the leg side, but he ends up popping the catch back to the bowler.
* Australia A bring up the team fifty in just the eighth over as the openers get off to a bright start again. Sandeep Sharma has proven to be expensive in his first spell, conceding 36 runs in four overs. Australia A 51/0 in eight overs.
* DROPPED! Not such a good start in the field for India A. Sandeep Sharma induces the edge from Usman Khawaja but Sanju Samson drops it. To add insult to injury, Khawaja slams him for two consecutive boundaries. Australia A 19/0 after 3 overs.
* Australia A 3/0 after the first over bowled by Sandeep Sharma - Khawaja 1 not out, Joe Burns 1 not out.
* Australia A have recalled Usman Khwaja while Kedar Jadhav, Dhawal Kulkarni and Sandeep Sharma return for India A
* Australia A won the toss and opted to bat vs India A
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India A outclassed South Africa A by 34 runs after Mayank Agarwal's 176 helped the side post a mammoth 371/3 on Thursday. The 24-year-old opener hit 20 fours and five sixes to leave the Proteas' bowling unit in complete shambles. It was a war cry - one that would make the Aussies sit up and take note ahead of the final. Such was the performance that even India A coach Rahul Dravid heaped praise on Agarwal - who is known more for his T20 skills than ODI prowess. "It is really nice to see that Mayank has now converted starts twice and got two big scores. It shows really good level of maturity," said Dravid.
Men to watch out for:
India A - Mayank Agarwal, Unmukt Chand Manish Pandey and Axar Patel
Australia A - Usman Khawaja, Joe Burns, Matthew Wade and Ashton Agar
Agarwal has now scored 130, 61 and 176 from three of his previous four matches. Even Manish Pandey would be confident after his unbeaten knock of 108 against the South Africans. And while the batting therefore looks robust and ready to take on the Aussies, the same may not be true for the bowlers.
The likes of Rishi Dhawan and Gurkeerat Singh have been unable to use their pace to deadly effect and the Aussies have already mastered the slow-ball attack. Nonetheless, much would depend on young Axar Patel who claimed three wickets against South Africa A. Life though won't be easy against Matthew Wade who slammed 130 in Australia A's last match before the final - against South Africa A.