Two former Test batters hoping desperately hoping for a recall, Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft, both fell for ducks in a stunning start to the second innings of Australia A’s match against a touring India side at the MCG.
Harris was caught behind after driving at a dipping ball from India A’s Prasidh Krishna, who then trapped Bancroft in front with his next delivery for a first-ball duck.
Harris had made 73 in the first innings.
Fellow Test hopeful Sam Konstas batted away the hat-trick delivery and is teaming with another Test aspirant Nathan McSweeney to try and chase down 168 to win the match after India A was bowled out for 229.
A short time ago, Australia A were 2-24 chasing 168 with McSweeney on 12 not out and Konstas also unbeaten on nine.
The Australian squad for the first Test is expected to be named as early as today.
McSweeney, 25, has emerged as the batting bolter this summer, and the South Australia and Australia A captain looks a good chance of winning a place in the squad.
India A’s Prasidh Krishna celebrates the wicket of Marcus Harris at the MCG.Credit: Getty Images
Harris, already with 14 Tests to his credit but none since 2022, has also had a solid start to the summer for Victoria and Australia A, including a century against Tasmania in friendly batting conditions at the Junction Oval.
The selectors must now determine who will be Usman Khawaja’s batting partner at the top of the order come day one in Perth on November 22.
McSweeney has made a strong start to the first-class season, with scores of 55, 127 not out, 37 and 72, building on his team-high 762 runs at 40.10 last summer. Last weekend he top-scored in each of Australia A’s innings against India A with 47 and 39 when batting at No.4, and made 14 in the first innings in Melbourne before nicking off.
In McSweeney’s favour is that the selectors may prefer a left and right-handed combination at the top of the order.
The left-handed Harris has technical issues outside off stump in his short Test career, averaging a modest 25.29, with a top score of only 79 in 26 innings. He has worked assiduously to overcome this, but state and international fast bowlers still continue to tempt him in this region, as shown in his first innings dismissal at the MCG.
India’s back-up wicket-keeper Dhruv Jurel had his way with the Australia A attack early on day three getting on the front foot and attacking the gaps in the field.
While India looked likely to collapse in the final hours of the previous evening, finishing on 5-73, Jurel and partner Nitish Kumar Reddy didn’t look that way in the morning.
Scott Boland, Beau Webster and Nathan McAndrew attacked the stumps chasing the breakthrough but, in the process, the Indians played their shots with confidence and punished anything off the mark.
One of the highlights was Jurel, who could force his way into the first Test side as a batsman, hoisting off-spinner Corey Rocchiccioli straight down the ground for six.
They put on 94 for the sixth wicket until Jurel skied a ball from the spinner to the leg side, where Sam Kontas took an assured catch in the deep.
Prasidh wielded the willow with gusto during his time at the crease, and did so with success, making 29 off 43 balls, including five boundaries, before Konstas took a brilliant diving catch in the deep off Rocchiccioli.
Tanush Kotian made 43 before he was caught off the off-spin bowling of McSweeney before Rocchiccioli took the last wicket lbw to finish with 4-74.
More to come
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