Australia A Take the Series 2-0 Lead: Johnson's New-Ball Strikes Leave India A Chasing Shadows

Three days after a 125-run win built on a rescue act, Australia A won again in Puducherry, and this time they did not need rescuing. Their top order did the work early, their bowlers did it again with the new ball, and India A spent most of the evening trying to climb out of a hole dug in the first nine overs.

Australia A 275 all out (49.5 overs). India A 206 all out (45.2 overs). Australia A won by 69 runs and lead the three-match series 2-0. Spencer Johnson, with 3 for 35 and a brisk 14 not out from seven balls, was Player of the Match.

Mitchell Owen started in a hurry again, 25 from 13 balls with two sixes, before Yash Thakur had him caught by Suryansh Shedge at 32 for 1 in the fourth over. What followed was the most composed batting of the series so far from Australia A's top order. Sam Konstas and Josh Philippe added 101 from 116 balls; Philippe reached fifty from 53 balls with seven fours, and was out for 58 in the 23rd over, caught by Ruturaj Gaikwad off Nishant Sindhu. Konstas went to his own fifty from 69 balls and made 67 before Arshad Khan had him caught behind at 168 for 3 in the 30th over.

At 207 for 3 in the 37th over, something past 300 looked possible. Instead, Australia A lost seven wickets for 68. Lachlan Shaw was caught off Vipraj Nigam for 25, Nathan McSweeney — Tuesday's centurion — was run out for 32, and the final ten overs produced 57 runs for five wickets. Arshad Khan finished with 3 for 56. It took Spencer Johnson, with a four and a six in his seven balls, to push the total past 270, adding 16 for the last wicket with Riley Meredith.

For the second match running, India A's top three were gone cheaply. Australia A reviewed Sai Sudharsan's first-over escape without success, but it didn't much matter. Johnson had Devdutt Padikkal caught by Tanveer Sangha for 1, Meredith removed Ruturaj Gaikwad for 12 after three quick fours, and Ben Dwarshuis had Sai Sudharsan caught behind for 13. India A were 30 for 3 in the ninth over and 32 for 3 at the end of the powerplay.

Rajat Patidar, as he had on Tuesday, held the innings together. He made 67 from 82 balls and added 51 with Nishant Sindhu for the fifth wicket, but when Johnson came back to have him caught by Konstas at 134 for 6 in the 33rd over, the chase was effectively done. Johnson then had Shedge caught by McSweeney at 149 for 7. Anukul Roy's unbeaten 34, with two sixes, and Vipraj Nigam's 23 from 16 added some late noise, and Roy and Yash Thakur put on 38 for the last wicket before Mitchell Owen ended it in the 46th over.

Credit belongs to India A's bowlers for the way they pulled back the last 13 overs of the Australian innings, and to Nigam, whose ten overs cost 48. But for two matches now, India A have been three down early with the bat, and you cannot keep asking Patidar to climb that hill alone.

We weren't at the ground, so no claims about the pitch. The scorecard says the new ball again did the early damage for the side bowling second: India A scored 32 for 3 in their first ten overs, while Australia A had made 65 for 1 in theirs. It also says scoring got harder late in Australia A's innings, which produced 57 runs and five wickets in the last ten overs. For the second match running, the side batting first won comfortably on this ground.

A new-ball bowler's value is often measured in the first spell, and Johnson's set the tone: Padikkal in the fifth over, before India A had really begun. But his best work came later. When Patidar was set and the required rate was still within reach, Johnson came back and removed him, and two overs later took Shedge too. Three wickets in eight overs for 35, each of them arriving at a moment when India A were trying to find a way back in.

And the 14 not out from seven balls at No. 11 was no small thing. Those 16 runs for the last wicket took Australia A from a total that looked short of what they'd promised to one that turned out to be more than enough.

This match didn't have a CricIntel preview, so there is no prediction to grade.

The 3rd unofficial ODI is on October 11, again in Puducherry. Australia A have already taken the one-day series with a match to spare, after India A won the unofficial Test series 1-0 (a 162-run win followed by a draw). The final game is about pride for India A and about answers for the selectors: can someone other than Patidar build an innings from the top?