NEW DELHI: India A experienced a crushing nine-wicket defeat against Australia A in a rain-interrupted second List A match on Friday. This outcome overshadowed a stellar performance from batter Tilak Varma, who scored a valiant 94, and the extraordinary personal commitment of Abhishek Sharma, who chose to represent his country over attending his own sister’s wedding.
The match was severely impacted by a three-hour rain delay. Chasing India A’s initial total of 246, the target was revised to 160 runs in 25 overs for Australia A using the Duckworth-Lewis method. Having already reached 48 runs without any loss before the rain halted play, Australia A resumed their chase with formidable momentum. McKenzie Harvey, with an unbeaten 70 off just 49 balls, and Cooper Connolly, contributing a quickfire 50 off 31 deliveries, led their team to a comfortable victory in just 16.4 overs. The Australian batsmen unleashed a relentless assault on the Indian bowling attack, smashing 22 fours and six sixes. Pacer Arshdeep Singh, in particular, struggled, conceding 44 runs in his four overs.
Abhishek Sharma, who had been brought into the squad as a potential long-term opening prospect, had a brief and unfortunate outing, falling to Jack Edwards’ very first ball. However, Tilak Varma demonstrated immense composure and skill, anchoring the innings with his magnificent 94 runs off 122 balls, which included five boundaries and four towering sixes. He forged a crucial 101-run fourth-wicket partnership with Riyan Parag, who chipped in with a brisk 58 off 54 balls. Varma also added valuable lower-order contributions of 34 runs with Ravi Bishnoi and 28 runs with Arshdeep Singh, narrowly missing out on a well-deserved century.
Earlier in the innings, India A found themselves in early trouble when Shreyas Iyer could only manage eight runs, leaving the team reeling at 17 for 3. Jack Edwards proved to be the standout bowler for Australia A, claiming four crucial wickets.
This comprehensive defeat leaves the three-match series finely balanced at 1-1, setting the stage for an exciting, high-stakes decider on Sunday. Tilak Varma’s impressive, fluent knock has undoubtedly strengthened his case for a spot in India’s main 50-over setup, while Abhishek Sharma’s selfless act off the field serves as a poignant reminder of the significant personal sacrifices young cricketers often make for national duty.