Australia A Clinch Thrilling Victory Over India A in Close-Fought Four-Day Clash
In a tightly contested four-day match, Australia A emerged victorious over their Indian counterparts, securing a 45-run win in the final encounter of India A’s tour. The clash between the two sides proved to be a closely fought affair, with the visitors threatening to chase down a imposing target before a late fightback from the home team ultimately proved decisive.
After winning the toss and opting to bat first, Australia A posted a respectable total of 212 in their first innings, thanks largely to a gritty 71-run knock from opener Georgia Voll. In response, the Indian bowlers, led by the impressive Mani, who claimed 5 wickets, restricted the hosts to 260 in their second innings, setting up an intriguing chase for the visitors.
Chasing 289 for victory, India A got off to a shaky start, but a stubborn seventh-wicket partnership of 79 runs between Raghvi Bist and Uma Chetry gave them hope of pulling off a remarkable comeback. Chetry, in particular, played with great positivity on the final morning, as the target began to come into view. However, just as the visitors were starting to gain the upper hand, a crucial intervention from Australia A’s Tess Flintoff turned the tide of the match.
“It was a bit nerve-racking at the start. They put on 60 runs or so without a wicket lost,” Knott said. “But we knew once we got one wicket we’d get the rest so we just had to stick in there. They were going pretty aggressive so we knew something would come.”
Flintoff’s twin strikes in the space of four balls, first dismissing Chetry and then Bist, effectively ended India A’s hopes of victory. Three overs later, the home side clinched their ninth wicket when Mannat Kashyap fell, bringing them within touching distance of the win. Though a last-wicket stand of 24 runs between the Indian tail-enders threatened to delay the inevitable, it was ultimately captain Charlie Knott who secured the final wicket, ensuring a hard-fought triumph for Australia A.
The victory capped off a closely contested tour for India A, who had shown steady improvement across the three formats played. Australia A had previously won the T20 series 3-0 and the one-day series 2-1, before sealing the four-day encounter in a thrilling finale.
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