Siraj's 8-wicket haul rips Australia A's batting apart

India A, in reply, are 41 for no loss at stumps, trailing Australia A by 202 runs

A terrific eight-wicket haul from Mohammed Siraj kept Australia A at bay on the first day of the first unofficial Test at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. The visitors bundled up for 243 despite a fine hundred from Usman Khawaja.

The Hyderabad pacer triggered a dramatic collapse with four wickets in a spell, after Australia A lost their first wicket on 78. Among his prize wickets were Test players like rival skipper Mitchell Marsh (0) and Khawaja even as four Australia A batsmen could be out in single digits.

Apart from Marsh, Chris Tremain and Brendan Doggett went back to the pavilion without scoring while Peter Handscomb and Michael Neser made golden ducks. The other wicket-taker for India A was Kuldeep Yadav, who picked up two wickets for 63 runs.

Opening the batting, Khawaja scored 127 runs off 228 balls with 20 boundaries, before he was the last batsman out after giving a catch to wicketkeeper Kona Bharat off Siraj. Khawaja sketched a 114-run fifth wicket partnership with Marnus Labuschagne, who scored 60 in 105 balls with 11 boundaries.

Kurtis Patterson was the only other batsman to make more than 15 runs.

India A, in reply, are 41 for no loss at stumps, trailing Australia A by 202 runs. Opener Mayank Agarwal and Ravikumar Samarth are batting on 31 and 10, respectively.