India A concluded their tour to Australia on Sunday with a draw in the second unofficial match. It proved to be a mixed month for the players Down Under, registering a win in the quadrangular series, but losing out to Australia A in the two-match four-day unofficial series.
We look bvack at the best performers for India A from the tour:
5.Akhil Herwadkar
After three innings of batting failure, the India A unit finally showed some spine in the final innings of their second unofficial four-day Test series against Australia A and Akhil Herwadkar was the cornerstone for that improved batting effort on the third day.
The left-hander from Sangli showed a lot of grit and composure in his innings of 82 not out and certainly showed a lot of batsmen in the present team that by showing application, one can succeed against the present Australian A bowling attack.
Herwadkar has an impressive first-class record, where he has scored 1502 runs in 52 matches at an average of 42.91. He will now look to begin the new season on a positive note and build on that momentum.
4.Kedar Jadhav
A consistent performer in the past few years for Maharashtra, Kedar Jadhav’s efforts to get back to national reckoning would have received a minor boost, following a string of good scores in the quadrangular series.
The 31-year-old scored a total of 254 runs in the 7 matches that he played in, that included a top score of 93 not out and was one of the best performers in the series.
Jadhav, who debuted in India's 2015 tour to Zimbabwe, has played 7 matches for the country in the 50-over format and will now look to begin the new domestic season back home on a positive note and try and get back his place in the senior setup.
3.Yuzvendra Chahal
India may opt for Amit Mishra’s experience for now across formats, but in future, if there is someone whom they can groom, it is Yuzvendra Chahal. The Haryana leg-spinner debuted for India in the tour to Zimbabwe earlier this year and impressed one-and-all with his controlled leg-spin in the tour of Australia, scalping 7 wickets in 4 matches at an average of 20 to guide India A to the title.
Chahal’s key aspects in his bowling is his length and ability to flight the ball and he will look to further impress the new group of selectors, who will be joining soon and seal a berth into the senior squad once again.
2.Dhawal Kulkarni
Dhawal Kulkarni, it seems, has carried on from the 2016 Indian Premier League(IPL), where he had picked up 18 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 20.22. He had a decent outing in Zimbabwe but was once again in his elements Down Under, picking up 9 wickets in 7 matches in 6 matches with best figures of 4 for 37.
Kulkarni’s strengths lie in swinging the ball by coming close to the wicket and it is his ability to move the ball at a good pace and he will be certainly in line for a place in the squad for the limited-overs series against New Zealand starting next month.
1.Manish Pandey
One of the best batsman in the country at present, Manish Pandey sparkled in both coloured clothing as well as whites in the tour Down Under.
Pandey scored 359 runs in 7 matches at an average of 59.83 in the quadrangular series and scored 96 runs in the three innings that he batted in the longer format of the game.
The 27-year-old. who made a debut hundred in 50-over cricket at the start of this year, should consider himself a tad unlucky for not having found a place in the 15-man Test squad to face New Zealand but can surely hope to get a call up for the ODI series if he can have a good opening match for Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy, beginning on the 6th of October.
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