Australia A were trailing by 205 runs at stumps with all wickets in tact after bowling India A out for 230 on Day 1 of the first four-day game of the tour being played with the pink ball. Manish Pandey was the top-scorer for the visiting side with a 76-ball 77-run knock as the rest of lineup crumbled after lunch.
Australian leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson (four wickets) and fast bowler, David Moody (three wickets) dismantled the visitors’ lineup after a wicketless first session.
When play ended for the day, Australia A openers – Cameron Bancroft and Joe Burns - had taken the team to 25 in an unbroken stand.
Earlier, after captain Naman Ojha elected to bat in Brisbane, Akhil Herwadkar and Faiz Fazal diligently saw off the new ball to build the partnership and kept the bowlers at bay throughout the session. Herwadkar, dispatched Daniel Worrall to get himself and the team off the mark in the third over of the day, and continued to bat patiently. The pair bided their time at the crease as they looked to set up the innings for the side and took India A to Lunch at 65 without loss.
In the third over after lunch, Herwadkar nicked Worrall and Peter Handscomb took a one-handed catch in the slips to send the opener back. After 14 runs, Fazal chopped a David Moody delivery onto the stumps leaving the team on 88 for two.
Shreyas Iyer, who had looked in good touch, hit the ball back to Swepson and the bowler took a good low return catch to send back the batsman for 19.
India A man-in-form, Manish Pandey, and Karun Nair then joined forces in an attempt to rebuild the innings. While Nair bided his time at the crease, his partner took the attack to the Australian bowlers. He found the boundary with ease as he raced to his half-century. He smacked Beau Webster for 14 runs in an over to reach 77 in quick time before tea. The duo took the team to Tea at 188 for three.
However, off the first ball of the final session, he edged Chadd Sayers to the wicketkeeper to return to the dressing room without adding to his tally. Swepson then followed up with the wicket of Nair while the pacer trapped Naman Ojha lbw for two and with Hardik Pandya bowled for zero by the spinner, India A had lost three wickets with the score on 197 runs.
Jayant Yadav remained unbeaten on 11 as Swepson claimed Shardul Thakur and Moody accounted for Varun Aaron and Shahbaz Nadeem to wrap up the India A innings in 81.3 overs.
Brief scores: Day 1- India A 1st inn 230/10 in 81.3 overs (M Pandey 77, F Fazal 48, M Swepson 4/28, D Moody 3/26); Australia A 1st inn 25/0 in 6 overs (J Burns 12*, C Bancroft 10*) Trail by 205 runs.
