Travis Head leads Australia A to big win; Mayank Agarwal helps India B win two in two
Australia A made amends for their performance in the last game against India A, which the visitors lost by five wickets, to put up a comprehensive all-round show against South Africa A, beating them by 32 runs at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. In the second game of the day, played at Alur, Agarwal's majestic 124 helped India B register a seven-wicket victory over India A.
Australia A v South Africa A
Captain Head (110) starred with the bat for Australia and also picked up two wickets, and there were key contributions from Marnus Labuschagne (65), Matt Renshaw (42), Mitchell Swepson (3/40) and Ashton Agar (1/46), as South Africa were bowled out for 290 in reply to Australia's 322/5.
Australia were dealt an early blow after Head won the toss and elected to bat, as Usman Khawaja (10) was run out in the fifth over. That was the only breakthrough South Africa managed in the powerplay, though, as D'Arcy Short (49) and Head added 83 runs for the second wicket to lay a strong foundation for the middle order.
Short was dismissed in the 19th over with the score on 100/2 but there was no respite for South Africa as Head added another 136 runs with Marnus Labuschagne, before the latter was dismissed in the 42nd, and 49 more with Renshaw before South Africa finally got the better of Head. Renshaw and Alex Carey carried Australia past 300.
In reply, South Africa openers Sarel Erwee (37) and Gihahn Cloete (50) batted aggressively in the first 10 overs and brought up the team's 50 in seven overs. They added 89 runs for the first wicket before Head struck twice to dismiss both openers.
That initiated a mini-collapse as South Africa lost their next five wickets for 69 runs and slipped to 167/7 before captain Khaya Zondo (117) and Robbie Frylinck (30) added some parity to the game by sharing an 82-run stand for the eighth wicket, but the partnership came a bit too late.
For Australia, this performance was in contrast to their first game against India A where they were bowled out for 151. What changed for them within the span for two days? "A few little things with the batting", according to spinner Ashton Agar.
"(We had) a little bit of a look at what the spinners are doing, how they're trying to get us out and then play accordingly. We played their spinners quite well," Agar said after the match. "The wicket was getting quite a bit of turn out there but we looked to hit them quite straight and we actually swept really well."
It was about someone rising to the occasion and taking responsibility, Agar said, and it was the captain who did it. "He (Head) was excellent. We spoke about someone coming in and taking responsibility of batting through the innings and building a partnership, which is what we didn't do against India A, and we did that really well today."
"We had a plan, we stuck to that. Trav led by example as the captain and it allowed a good platform for the guys to come in and bat around him."
Agar returned with one wicket in the game but played a whirlwind cameo of 17 off four balls with one four and two sixes. With the tour to the United Arab Emirates coming up, where Agar will hope to retain his place as the specialist spinner for Australia, this quadrangular series is the litmus test for many in the squad.
"Personally it's a big series for me to try try a push a case for UAE," Agar conceded. "To be honest, I haven't really thought much about the UAE. It has worked nicely for me in the last couple of years. I think just to bowl well in these conditions, try and formulate some good plans against some good players of spin will be really important if I do get picked. So, yeah, it's a big tour."
For his lower-order hitting, he credited his days with Middlesex in England. "It’s important for me to able to get in and go from ball one. I worked on that a lot when I was with Middlesex for the last month, over in England. I was in the nets working on six-hitting, really, to come in and try and finish an innings," Agar said.
"For me, I think it’s really important for my batting to be really adaptable so I can be used in any situation. I love batting just as much as I love bowling so I’m trying to be as good as I can at everything."
Lower-order hitting has been an issue for Australia as well as there haven't been many contendors for the finisher's role. Agar too believes that's something Australia can work on.
"We definitely have those guys who are capable of hitting those big sixes, especially at the top of the order," Agar said. "If D’Arcy Short’s firing, Chris Lynn’s fit, Aaron Finch is hitting the ball really cleanly at the moment, then it’s just about getting that depth of power-hitting."
"We’ve got three or four guys who are excellent a it, but I guess it’s about being able to do that all the way through, coming in and finishing the innings. I think that's something we can work on."
India A v India B
Chasing 218 for victory set by India A, India B got to the target in just 41.1 overs with seven wickets in hand.
Shubman Gill (42) played a handy knock for India B while M Prasidh Krishna starred with the ball, picking up 4/50 in eight overs. Leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal picked up 2/38, and captain Manish Pandey remained unbeaten on 21 and took the team to victory.
India A were helped to 217 by Ambati Rayudu (48), Krishnappa Gowtham (35), and Sanju Samson (32). The bowlers, however, could not defend the small total given to them by the batsmen as Mohammad Siraj, who picked up four wickets in the last game, returned wicket-less.