India A Series ....

[Atithee]

The unbeaten partnership is now worth 200 runs with both players approaching their career high scores. This is what kills the Indian team. These are some of the top bowlers India has. And they are not exactly bowling to the top Australian batsmen at the moment. It's good that Trott and KP are not in the English team any more. But Cook and Bell will have a good time. Prior, Broad, Jordan, and company will toy with our fast and slow spinners alike as the English late order bowlers who want to bat too.

It is 274 at tea now. No wicket at all today. They were 99/6 at one point. Aargh!!!

[PKBasu]

Yes, Atithee, I thought of you immediately when I saw this disastrous score

How the hell do our teams always manage to allow opposing tailenders to notch up their career-best scores? The complete inability to get the 7th wicket all day today is truly atrocious.

[Atithee]

Well, we got it, finally! Phew!! After a partnership of 371 runs. My feeling is that the massacre will continue unless they take pity and declare.

[PKBasu]

I think this is a particular indictment of Pragyan Ojha. Surely a world-class spinner should be able to get tailenders (or atleast late-order batsmen with modest credentials) out with his variations of flight, line and length...That he lacked a spinning partner is a slight excuse, but not a convincing one.

Only Bumrah seems to have distinguished himself in this innings.

[Prashant]

Surely a world-class spinner should be able to get tailenders

I tend to think you throw the fastest bowler you can at tailenders. But to widen your point, a world-class anything should be able to get a tail out. We've just lacked a world-class bowler of any variety since the days of Kumble & Bhajji.

[PKBasu]

Great start by Umesh Yadav (10-3-21-2) in the second "test", as he removes both Phil Hughes and Alex Doolan, reducing Aus A to 38/2 in the 18th over. They have now recovered to 64/2. Amit Mishra is playing as the spinner in this match (replacing Ojha), and Aparajith is in the side as well.

[PKBasu]

Mishra gets Chris Lynn, and Aus A are 66/3 at lunch on Day 1. Amit Mishra's figures: 3-0-4-1.

[PKBasu]

Post-lunch futility for the Indian bowlers, as James Faulkner and Peter Forrest thwart them effectively. 182/3 now in the 65th over.

[PKBasu]

Umesh Yadav (3/41 in 18 overs) picks up a third wicket (Forrest), but James Faulkner's rampage continues: he is 78* in a total of 220/4.

Update: Australia A end the day on 288/7, with Mishra stopping Faulkner (94), and finishing with a total of 4 wickets for 114 runs. Fine effort on Day 1 of a first class match in Brisbane. (Yadav bowled just a couple more overs, one of them a maiden and ended the day with 3/42 in 20 overs). New ball will hopefully be taken tomorrow morning.

[prasen9]

Yadav and Mishra have bowled well. If there is an injury or something, I would send Yadav to England. At least, he cannot be much worse than Ishant. Shami and Kumar need to be given a proper run.

[suresh]

India A score 501 in reply to Australia A's 423. Naman Ojha makes it three centuries in a row (his average for the series is 430!) and Umesh Yadav scores 90 (in addition to 5 wickets) adding 82 with Bumrah for the last wicket! So the Aussies also struggled to finish off the Indian tail. I still wonder why Umesh Yadav did not make it to the Indian team -- he was our first choice until fairly recently.

[prasen9]

Ojha, Rayudu, and Manoj have batted well this series. Jiwanjot and Rahul so so. Uthappa is not a player for the longer version of the game. Mukund should have been given more chances.

Umesh and Mishra have bowled the best.

[PKBasu]

I think Umesh Yadav should be on the next flight to England, perhaps exchanging places with Ishwar Pandey -- who seems very unlikely to play a test. He was indeed our first choice test bowler two seasons ago -- and didn't do too badly -- but has been inexplicably sidelined.

[Prashant]

I agree PKB - why have these A tours if you're not going to reward a real standout performance.

[Atithee]

Normally the rewards come in the next series. In this case, Yadav should have been on the plane to England in the first place and Pandey and Aaron should have at least been playing in Australia. Of course, I shan't should be getting a decent haircut at home and reflecting upon how he can be half as good as everyone thought he could be instead of being the spearhead in England right now.