After Doggett’s six-fer, McSweeney steady as Australia A dominate on 14-wicket day

Mackay, Oct 31 (IANS) Despite a good start with the ball, India A find themselves slightly behind the curve in the first innings after a solid knock from Australia A skipper Nathan McSweeney (29 off 110 balls) in difficult batting conditions gave hosts upper hand on Day 1 with 14 wickets falling at Great Barrier Reef Arena.

The host trails by only 8 runs with six more wickets in hand.

In a bowler-dominated day, Australia A set the tone early with a stellar performance. Brendan Doggett, called up as a reserve due to injuries to Liam Hatcher and Mark Steketee, stole the show with a career-best 6 for 15, decimating India A’s lineup. With his impressive full-length deliveries and a surface offering ample assistance to the quicks, Doggett made life tough for the opposition.

India’s batting order struggled to keep up with the pace and bounce of the Australian pitches to get shot out for 107 with only Sai Sudharsan (21) and Devdutt Padikkal (36) managing to play out a few deliveries.

While the top-order contenders of Australia A faltered, McSweeney took on a stabilising role at No. 4 after Beau Webster's 33 powered hosts near the trailing score. Though primarily a No. 3 batsman for Queensland, McSweeney adjusted to the demands of opening conditions, batting with patience and resilience. His 29 off 110 balls on a tough pitch showcased his ability to handle challenging conditions.

Sam Konstas, the 19-year-old, who has been the season’s most talked-about player, was dismissed in the very first over, edging a delivery from Mukesh Kumar while attempting a drive.

After being called up as a second reserve, Doggett made his mark immediately with disciplined bowling and a perfect length that exploited the pitch conditions. He ripped through India A’s middle and lower order, taking wickets at regular intervals and ensuring his team a strong position.

Doggett’s first victim was Sai Sudharsan, who had looked promising but fell to an edge behind. He continued his onslaught after lunch, taking out Ishan Kishan with an edge and later dismissing Devdutt Padikkal, who had been India A’s top scorer with 36.

Doggett’s fifth and sixth wickets came swiftly, removing Manav Suthar with a yorker before cleaning up Prasidh Krishna. His 6 for 15 mark is a career-best and further bolsters his reputation as a potent force in Australian domestic cricket.

Supported by Todd Murphy, who took a crucial wicket before lunch, Australia A bowled out India A for just 107, with only Navdeep Saini’s tail-end 23 lifting the score into triple figures.

For India A, pacers Mukesh Kumar and Prasidh Krishna bowled consistently outside off with the ball swinging away and forcing the batters to come forward. Both the pacers took two-wickets each as Australia finished the Day 1 on 99 for 4.

Brief scores: India A 107 all out (Devdutt Padikkal 36, Sai Sudarshan 21; Brendan Doggett 6-15, Jordan Buckingham 2-18) lead Australia A 99 for 4 in 39 overs (Beau Webster 33, Nathan McSweeney 29; Prasidh Krishna 2-18 Mukesh Kumar 2-30) by eight runs.

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