{"id":2221,"date":"2026-09-25T08:38:53","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T08:38:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/2026\/09\/25\/india-a-363-run-target-australia-a-puducherry-test\/"},"modified":"2026-09-25T08:38:53","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T08:38:53","slug":"india-a-363-run-target-australia-a-puducherry-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/2026\/09\/25\/india-a-363-run-target-australia-a-puducherry-test\/","title":{"rendered":"India A set 363\u2011run target for Australia A in Puducherry unofficial Test"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<!-- Quick Adsense WordPress Plugin: http:\/\/quickadsense.com\/ -->\n<div class=\"9fece8afa224fd09e54b043d0febfb58\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: none; margin:10px 0 10px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- NR ATF -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8898941184964366\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"4839033563\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p>India A extended its dominance in the first unofficial Test against Australia A on Day\u00a03 in Puducherry, setting a daunting 363\u2011run target for the visitors. The hosts compiled 334 runs in the first innings and added 199 in the second, while Australia A managed 171 and 55 for two wickets at the close of play, leaving them 308 runs behind with a long way to go.<\/p>\n<h2>India A&#8217;s batting builds a massive lead<\/h2>\n<p>The third day&#8217;s play began with India A holding a 163\u2011run advantage after the first two innings. The surface, described as offering \u201cprogressively greater wear and variance,\u201d demanded careful technique, especially against uneven bounce.<\/p>\n<p>Opening the innings, Aman Mokhade fell early to a delivery from Liam Scott that slipped under his knees and trapped him in front of the stumps. His dismissal set the stage for a partnership between Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal, who together added 68 runs. Padikkal, who had impressed in Sri Lanka, continued to attack the spinners from the back foot, finding the boundary with notable frequency. Sudharsan, meanwhile, played square of the wicket until a full ball slipped under his attempted sweep against Todd\u202fMurphy, leading to his wicket.<\/p>\n<p>After reaching 93 for one, India A lost four wickets for just 58 runs. Shaik Rasheed was caught and bowled by Tanveer Sangha immediately after the lunch interval, and Yash Rathod fell to a superbly angled delivery from Scott that nipped away. Scott also claimed Padikkal\u2019s wicket when the left\u2011hander attempted a swish over square leg, only to miss and be bowled.<\/p>\n<p>Kumar Kushagra, who had scored a century in the first innings, remained unbeaten on 46, steering the lower order. Post\u2011tea, he launched a couple of sixes off Murphy before the off\u2011spinner dismissed the remaining tail\u2011enders, finishing with a four\u2011fer.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to Padikkal\u2019s 59 and Kushagra\u2019s 46 not out, opener Sai Sudharsan contributed a steady 39, and the combined effort pushed the second\u2011innings total to 199. The cumulative lead of 363 runs represented a \u201cmassive\u201d target for Australia A, according to the match report.<\/p>\n<h2>Australia A&#8217;s response in the chase<\/h2>\n<p>Australia A entered the final session of Day\u00a03 needing to overcome a 363\u2011run deficit. They managed to bat for 23 overs before the close of play, losing two wickets while still trailing by 308 runs.<\/p>\n<p>Opening bowler Anshul Kamboj struggled with his line, delivering balls down the leg side. His partner, Tushar Deshpande, quickly found his rhythm and dismissed Campbell Kellaway in front of the stumps. The middle order saw Sam Konstas and Nathan\u202fMcSweeney display patience; McSweeney, noted as a potential candidate for a Border\u202fGavaskar Trophy call\u2011up next year, remained unbeaten at the end of the day.<\/p>\n<p>Konstas fell just before stumps after Tanush Kotian removed an off\u2011break that passed his defence and struck the pads. By the close, Australia A\u2019s scoreboard read 55 for two, with McSweeney on 23 not out.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, Australia A\u2019s innings featured a disciplined start but the required run rate remained out of reach. The match summary listed India A\u2019s totals as 334 and 199, with Padikkal scoring 59, Kushagra 46*, and Todd\u202fMurphy taking 4\u201148 with the ball. Australia A\u2019s scores were 171 and 55 for two, with McSweeney unbeaten on 23 and Deshpande\u2019s bowling figures at 1\u20115.<\/p>\n<h2>Key performances and bowling figures<\/h2>\n<p>The day highlighted several individual contributions. Padikkal\u2019s 59 demonstrated his ability to dominate spinners, while Kushagra\u2019s unbeaten 46 reinforced his reputation after a first\u2011innings century. Sudharsan\u2019s 39 added stability at the top of the order.<\/p>\n<p>On the bowling side, Liam Scott was instrumental for Australia A, claiming the wickets of Mokhade, Rathod, and Padikkal. Todd\u202fMurphy\u2019s four\u2011wicket haul (4\u201148) was the most effective spell for Australia A, providing crucial breakthroughs throughout India A\u2019s innings.<\/p>\n<p>For India A, Tanveer\u202fSangha\u2019s catch\u2011and\u2011bowled dismissal of Rasheed and the off\u2011spinner\u2019s four\u2011fer against the tail added to the pressure on the visitors.<\/p>\n<p>As the match moves into its final stages, Australia A faces a steep climb, needing to erase a 308\u2011run deficit with only two wickets in hand. The outcome will hinge on whether their middle order can accelerate scoring while preserving wickets, and whether India A\u2019s bowlers can maintain discipline on a pitch that continues to offer uneven bounce.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>India A posted a 363\u2011run lead in the unofficial Test at Puducherry, with Padikkal&#8217;s 59 and Kushagra&#8217;s unbeaten 46 anchoring the total, leaving Australia A 308 runs short with two wickets down.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2222,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[299],"tags":[2390,2389,2393,2392,2394,2391],"class_list":["post-2221","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-australia-a","tag-india-a","tag-kushagra","tag-padikkan","tag-puducherry","tag-unofficial-test","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2221","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2221"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2221\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2222"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}