Ruturaj Gaikwad likely to lead India A on tour of Australia

The upcoming series against Australia A presents an excellent opportunity for match practice and a chance for some backup players to prove themselves for the Test squad. Besides Ruturaj Gaikwad, the 15-man squad will likely include other opening batsmen such as Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sai Sudharsan. This is important as India will need a reserve opener for the upcoming tour of Australia, especially with Rohit Sharma expected to miss one of the first two matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for personal reasons.

The matches against Australia A will serve as a vital audition for potential Test squad members. The India A team will feature middle-order batsmen Devdutt Padikkal, B Indrajith, and Ricky Bhui, while wicket-keepers will include Abishek Porel and Ishan Kishan. The all-rounders are Nitish Kumar Reddy, Tanush Kotian, and Manav Suthar, and the fast bowlers will be Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed, and Yash Dayal.

Abhimanyu Easwaran, 29, has previously been part of India’s Test squad, having played in Bangladesh in 2022. He has been in exceptional form this domestic season, scoring two centuries in the Duleep Trophy and another in the Irani Trophy, along with a ton for Bengal at the start of the Ranji Trophy season. Sai Sudharsan, 23, recently made headlines with a first-class hundred for Surrey in August, followed by a century in the Duleep Trophy and a double-century in Tamil Nadu’s ongoing Ranji Trophy match in Delhi.

Nitish Kumar Reddy, a 21-year-old all-rounder who recently recovered from a hernia, made his T20I debut against Bangladesh earlier this month. He is currently a reserve player in India’s Test squad for the home series against New Zealand and is considered a promising talent with potential for growth.

India A is set to play Australia A in two four-day matches: the first in Mackay from October 31 and the second in Melbourne from November 7. They will then have a warm-up match against the India squad in Perth from November 15 to 17, leading up to the first Test against Australia on November 22.

Bengaluru Weather Update: Rain and Thunderstorms Expected on Final Day

Despite earlier forecasts predicting significant rain, the first Test between India and New Zealand in Bengaluru has seen nearly three full days of play. The anticipated rain has held off long enough for the match to reach a stage where any outcome is still possible, although New Zealand is currently in a stronger position. However, weather conditions could still impact the result.

The Indian Meteorological Department has warned of “generally cloudy skies with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers” on Sunday. Accuweather also predicts “thunderstorms in the area from late Saturday night through Sunday evening.” Given the match situation, New Zealand will start the day needing 107 runs with all ten second-innings wickets intact. This could be advantageous for India, as they hope there won’t be enough time for New Zealand to score those runs. Conversely, New Zealand, coming off a 2-0 Test series loss in Sri Lanka and viewed as underdogs in this series, is looking for uninterrupted play, ideally for at least one session, to chase down the target.

The first day of the Test was completely washed out due to persistent rain, forcing the covers to remain on the pitch. Play finally commenced the following morning, albeit in overcast conditions. After India chose to bat first, New Zealand’s fast bowlers dominated, dismissing the hosts for just 46 runs in 31.2 overs. New Zealand then scored 402 runs, while India managed to respond with 462, setting New Zealand a seemingly achievable target.

It’s worth noting that the M Chinnaswamy Stadium has a top-notch drainage system and a subsurface aeration system, allowing play to resume quickly after the rain stops.

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Katarzyna Nowak

Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and cricket sportsbook app reviews. As an author for IPLWin365 (IPL365 News), she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for cricket, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.