Nathan McSweeney has turn into the newest Australian Take a look at hopeful to falter in his push for the top-order emptiness, denied a half-century in Australia A’s first match with India A.
After rivals for choice Sam Konstas, Cameron Bancroft and Marcus Harris failed on day one, the stage appeared set for darkish horse McSweeney to stake his declare in Mackay.
In at quantity 4, the in-form South Australia captain had anchored the innings with a affected person show, constructing intrigue as to his potential for a shift to the highest of the Take a look at order towards India.
However McSweeney lasted lower than an hour on Friday earlier than clipping Nitish Kumar Reddy to gully after Cooper Connolly (37 from 60 balls) and Josh Philippe (4) fell in fast succession.
McSweeney’s 39 from 131 balls was however the highest rating on a deck that gave each side grief of their first innings.
Former Take a look at spinner Todd Murphy threatened to embarrass his top-order teammates by posting probably the most runs for Australia, regardless of averaging solely 14.86 in first-class cricket earlier than this week.
Murphy (33 from 47 balls) got here in at quantity 9 and bludgeoned the one six of the innings, over deep backward sq. leg, as he flagged his aggressive intentions on the demise.
However the 23-year-old holed out to mid-off to finish Australia A’s innings with the hosts — 195 all out — 88 runs forward of India A (107).
Murphy had turn into Mukesh Kumar’s ultimate sufferer because the paceman ended the decide of India A’s bowlers with a formidable 6-46.
A travelling reserve for the Border-Gavaskar trophy, Kumar set carnage in movement on day two by dismissing Connolly following the younger West Australian’s optimistic begin.
Connolly (37 from 60) had notably clubbed Take a look at hopeful Prasidh Krishna for 4 on three events in the identical over earlier than Kumar had him caught at sq. leg.
Sai Sudharsan (96no) and Devdutt Padikkal (80no) partnered to place India A (2-208) forward by 120 runs at stumps on day two, however neither man is within the Take a look at squad for the five-match collection starting in Perth on November 22.
Australia A paceman Jordan Buckingham grabbed the spotlight of the day in operating out Abhimanyu Easwaran (12) with a direct hit from mid-on.
The bullet-like throw consigned the guests to 2-30 earlier than Sudharsan and Padikkal launched into an unbeaten 178-run stand.
Each Easwaran and Ruturaj Gaikwad (5) had been once more out cheaply as they jostle to exchange India opener Rohit Sharma, who seems to be set to overlook the primary Take a look at for private causes.
Australia A injected Connolly’s part-time spin into the assault after tea as they searched in useless for a breakthrough late on day two.
Fairytale ton eludes Patterson on return to Defend
Kurtis Patterson has come up simply wanting a fairytale century coming back from the first-class wilderness on day considered one of NSW’s Sheffield Defend conflict towards Queensland.
The previous Take a look at batter’s comeback was adopted by ominous indicators from Josh Hazlewood, who bowled his first red-ball overs of the season as Queensland posted 0-36 in reply to the Blues’ 239 on day one.
Patterson had begun the summer time taking part in grade cricket for St George after type issues value him the NSW captaincy and pushed him to the fringes of the Blues set-up over the previous 18 months.
However Konstas and Josh Philippe’s secondment to Australia A opened up a spot for Patterson to return for simply his second Defend match in a 12 months.
Patterson (91 runs from 162 balls) got here to the crease after NSW elected to bat first however stammered to 2-12 inside two overs at Cricket Central on Friday.
Teammates fell round Patterson because the Blues struggled to 5-59 inside the primary session, earlier than the 31-year-old partnered with Jack Edwards on a rescue mission.
Patterson hit Queensland captain Mitch Swepson to mid-on to deliver up his half-century early within the second session, earlier than all-rounder Edwards did the identical off Benji Floros from solely 77 deliveries.
After a slower begin, Patterson picked up his tempo en path to the nervous 90s earlier than edging Angus Lovell to wicketkeeper Jimmy Peirson.
Patterson reduce a pissed off determine as he left the crease, as did Edwards (88 off 154) when he was dominated to have clipped Swepson to the gloveman.
Nonetheless, Patterson’s rating was his highest in first-class cricket since October 2022.
Out of favour for the Take a look at emptiness, Matthew Renshaw was made to climate an early Hazlewood onslaught after Queensland made it to the crease late within the day.
NSW appealed twice as Take a look at paceman Hazlewood opened the bowling with a maiden over.
Hazlewood posted 0-13 from 5 overs on the primary day of his solely red-ball recreation earlier than the Take a look at collection towards India begins on November 22.
Renshaw (14) and Usman Khawaja (19) will resume on day two.
