The inaugural four-day unofficial Test match between India A and Australia A at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow ultimately ended in a draw, as rain prevented any play on the final day.
India A began Day 4 on a solid 403/4. The overnight batting pair of Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel continued their impressive form. Jurel, who had already reached his second first-class century on the third day, added another 27 runs to his tally, finishing with a commanding 140 before his dismissal. Not to be outdone, Padikkal gracefully completed a magnificent 150 runs off 198 deliveries, marking a strong return to red-ball cricket.
This crucial partnership of over 200 runs was instrumental in stabilizing India A’s innings when they were under pressure at 222/4. Their efforts allowed the hosts to declare at 531/7, just one run shy of Australia A’s formidable first-innings total of 532/6 declared, with minor contributions from the lower order.
In their second innings, Australia A’s openers got off to a confident start, reaching 56 runs without losing a wicket. However, the weather soon intervened, forcing an early end to the day’s proceedings. Sam Konstas remained unbeaten on 27, while Campbell Kellaway was at 24 when play was called off.
Earlier in the match, Australia A had seized control after winning the toss and choosing to bat first, amassing 532 runs. India A’s bowlers faced a challenging task on a flat pitch. In response, several top-order batsmen for India A scored half-centuries, including Sai Sudharsan and N Jagadeesan, before Jurel and Padikkal dominated on Days 3 and 4.
With both teams’ batters displaying strong performances for most of the four days, the match was heading towards a draw, a result officially confirmed by Thursday’s rain.
The two-match series will now move to its second fixture, which is also scheduled to take place in Lucknow, commencing on September 23.