NEW DELHI: In a heartwarming display of teamwork, paceman Mukesh Kumar lent a helping hand to the groundsman during the IND-A vs AUS-A ‘unofficial’ Test at Mackay‘s Great Barrier Reef Arena.
With a hammer in hand, Mukesh was seen levelling up the landing zone where bowlers plant their feet during their delivery stride, showcasing the spirit of camaraderie that thrives in cricket.
Australia A concluded the day’s play requiring 86 runs for victory with seven wickets in hand, having reached 139 for three. The Indian bowling attack found it challenging to create breakthroughs during the opposition’s second innings.
Australia A skipper Nathan McSweeney and Beau Webster were batting at 47 and 19, respectively, at the end of third day’s play. McSweeney and Webster formed an unbroken partnership of 54 runs for the fourth wicket after their team had slipped to 85 for three.
India A, following a disappointing first innings total of 107, displayed remarkable improvement by posting 312 in their second outing. This came in response to Australia’s first innings score of 195.
The impressive bowling performance was led by Mukesh Kumar, who claimed six wickets for 46 runs, whilst Prasidh Krishna contributed with three dismissals. Their efforts restricted Australia A’s first-innings advantage to 88 runs.
The partnership between Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal proved crucial, as they were the sole batsmen to surpass ten runs in the first innings. They constructed an unbeaten 178-run stand for the third wicket in the second innings.
Sudharsan compiled a patient 103 from 200 deliveries, including nine boundaries. His partner Padikkal contributed 88 runs from 199 balls, featuring six fours, helping India A recover from a precarious position.