After rain halted Day 1 with India A stranded at 93/5, the hosts fought back brilliantly on Day 2 through Raghvi Bist’s gritty 93 and VJ Joshitha’s fluent 51 to post 299. Australia A then replied with 305, thanks to Sianna Ginger’s 103 and Nicole Faltum’s 54, leaving Australia with a slender lead of 6 runs. Day 3 belonged to India, driven by Shafali Verma’s quickfire 52 and another classy Bist knock (86), setting Australia A a tricky target of 281. The match was perfectly poised heading into Day 4 at Allan Border Field.
Day 4 saw Australia A’s top-order display calmness under pressure—seizing command and completing a clinical chase to win by six wickets.
Chasing 281, Australia A’s openers started cautiously, with Rachel Trenaman maintaining excellent discipline in her 64 off 143 balls and captain Tahlia Wilson steadying the other end for 46 off 104 balls. Both innings were punctuated by precise shot selection and sensible running between the wickets. They together added 117 runs for the 1st wicket.
India A breached the partnership when Saima Thakor sent back Wilson, followed shortly by Trenaman edging behind—both wickets attesting to Thakor’s persistence (2/63 off 15 overs). At 118/2, India smelled an opportunity—but Maddy Darke and Anika Learoyd had other plans.
Darke played with elegant composure, gathering 68 from 116 balls with elegant drives and disciplined defence, while Learoyd complemented her superbly with 72 off 125, mixing caution with timely aggression. Their stand crushed India’s grip on the match, steadily nudging the chase forward without panic.
India rotated their attack—Titas Sadhu (0/34) and VJ Joshitha (1/24) mixing in overs—with Radha Yadav (0/39) and Tanusree Sarkar (1/20) seeking breakthroughs. Sarkar eventually removed Darke, but too late—the foundation was well laid. Learoyd followed, but the final runs were knocked off leisurely by Nicole Faltum (16* off 21) and Ella Hayward (4* off 4), guiding Australia A to 283/4 in 85.3 overs and sealing a six-wicket victory.
Day 4 was Australia A’s strongest: their top-order partnership turned the contest decisively. For India A, Thakor’s early strikes were the only bright spark with the ball; otherwise, they couldn’t sustain pressure through the middle. The result sums up a well-earned victory and beautifully executed chase—an inspiring close to their unofficial Test.
