Fri Nov 01 11:33:46 UTC 2024: ## India A Fight Back on Day 2, Sudharsan and Padikkal Lead the Charge

**Mackay, Queensland:** India A fought back strongly on the second day of the first unofficial Test against Australia A, with Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal leading the charge. The duo put on a crucial 150-run partnership to help India A recover from a disappointing first day performance.

Sudharsan, who ended the day on 96*, showcased his class with a well-constructed innings, bringing up his 6th fifty in First-Class cricket. Padikkal too played a vital role, contributing a half-century of his own. The pair’s resilience and strong batting display helped India A reach 232/1 at the close of play, still trailing Australia A by 140 runs.

Earlier in the day, Australia A resumed their first innings on 175/4. Mukesh Kumar was the star for India A, claiming six wickets, including the vital scalps of Josh Philippe and Cameron Bancroft. However, a fighting 39 from Nathan McSweeney and a crucial 37 from Cooper Connolly helped Australia A set a challenging target for India A.

The match continues on Friday with India A hoping to push for a comeback and level the score.

**Key Highlights:**

* Sudharsan and Padikkal put on a 150-run partnership for the second wicket.
* Sudharsan reached 96* at the close of play, just 4 runs away from a century.
* Mukesh Kumar took 6 wickets for India A, including a five-wicket haul.
* Australia A reached 372 in their first innings, setting India A a target of 373.

**Follow the match live on cricket.com.au and the Cricket Australia Live app.**

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