India A avoided a clean sweep in the white-ball leg of their series against Australia A by securing a 49-run victory in the third unofficial ODI at the CAP Siechem Stadium on Sunday.
The home side posted a competitive total of 275 before bowling out the touring team, ensuring they finished the series on a positive note after facing difficulties in earlier encounters.
Suryansh Shedge played a pivotal role in the innings, coming to the crease after entering the squad as a replacement for the injured Hardik Pandya.
The Mumbai all-rounder recorded only his second List-A half-century, anchoring the innings with a resilient knock under considerable pressure from the opposition bowling attack.
Shedge accumulated 66 runs from 60 deliveries, striking seven boundaries and two maximums to steer his side away from a precarious position in the middle overs.
India A had initially made a brisk start to their innings after winning the toss and opting to bat first on a surface that offered varying bounce.
The opening pair of Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh capitalized on the fielding restrictions during the opening PowerPlay by attacking the fuller-length deliveries.
The duo added 82 runs in the first ten overs, putting the Australian bowling unit under immediate pressure and maintaining a healthy scoring rate.
However, the momentum shifted abruptly when Prabhsimran mistimed a pull shot to midwicket, triggering a significant collapse in the batting order.
Four wickets fell in quick succession as the hosts stumbled from a comfortable position to 118 for five, struggling to cope with the lack of pace on the pitch.
Priyansh departed just one run short of what would have been a well-deserved half-century, leaving the middle order exposed to disciplined bowling.
Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad joined Shedge at the crease, with the pair forced to adopt a cautious approach to stabilize the innings and rebuild the total.
The two batters compiled a crucial partnership of 42 runs before Gaikwad fell after a delivery held up in the surface, causing an edge onto his stumps.
With the score still troubling, Shedge found an able partner in Vipraj Nigam as the lower-middle order staged a remarkable recovery for the home side.
The pair launched a calculated counter-attack, targeting the visiting spin bowlers through effective use of the slog sweep and the reverse sweep strokes.
Nigam contributed a valuable 40 runs before eventually holing out in the deep, but not before recording the highest partnership of the series for India A.
The seventh-wicket stand yielded 85 runs from just 77 deliveries, effectively shifting the psychological advantage back to the batting side.
Shedge continued to farm the strike and push the scoring rate until he was eventually dismissed, helping propel the team total to 275 before the final wicket fell.
Defending a target of 275, the India A bowling attack faced a similarly aggressive approach from the touring team during the initial phase of the chase.
Josh Philippe, promoted to open the batting, took the attack to pace bowler Gurjapneet Singh alongside Liam Scott to maintain a steady scoring rate.
Philippe compiled 56 runs from 48 balls, featuring six fours and two sixes, before the introduction of spin brought about a breakthrough for the fielding side.
The Indian spinners utilized the available turn on the pitch to remove the set top-order batters and slow down the frantic accumulation of runs.
Nathan McSweeney attempted to anchor the innings through subsequent partnerships with Lachlan Shaw and Nikhil Chaudhary, keeping the scoreboard ticking over.
The required run rate steadily climbed as the hosts maintained discipline in the field, increasing the pressure on the visiting batting lineup.
The breakthrough arrived when McSweeney edged a back-of-a-length delivery from Gurjapneet through to the wicketkeeper, ending his resistance at the crease.
Faced with an escalating required run rate, the visiting lower order was forced into aggressive strokes, leading to a flurry of late wickets.
The India A pace bowlers capitalized on the desperation, claiming the final seven wickets for the addition of just 49 runs to seal the victory.
The comprehensive margin of 49 runs ensured that Ruturaj Gaikwad and his team avoided a series whitewash, concluding the white-ball fixtures on home soil.
The CAP Siechem Stadium in Puducherry provided the venue for this final encounter, which saw notable contributions from several fringe players staking claims.
Shedge emerged as a standout performer across the series, having previously impressed with the ball earlier in the tour before delivering with the bat.
The success in the final fixture highlights the depth available within the India A setup, particularly in recovering from difficult match situations.
Attention will now turn to the subsequent fixtures and domestic commitments for the players involved as the season progresses across various formats.
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