KL Rahul found himself at the center of another unusual and unfortunate dismissal in the second unofficial Test between India A and Australia A at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Known for his struggles with inconsistency, Rahul’s latest setback was a surprising dismissal that added to his recent troubles in red-ball cricket.
On a rain-affected Day 2, after patiently facing deliveries from pacers Scott Boland, Beau Webster, and Nathan McAndrew, Rahul encountered off-spinner Corey Rocchiccioli in the 18th over. In a moment of misjudgment, he shouldered arms to a straightforward delivery, only to see it ricochet off his pads and roll onto the stumps. Rahul walked back to the pavilion, managing only 10 runs off 44 balls in a restrained knock.
With hopes to secure a spot as opener if Rohit Sharma misses the first Test against Australia, Rahul’s struggles in this match may hurt his prospects. Sent early alongside wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel to gain match practice in Australian conditions, Rahul could only muster 14 runs across both innings, bowled out embarrassingly between the legs. In contrast, Jurel capitalized on the opportunity, showing promise with the bat.
Australia A, after dismissing India A for 161 on Day 1, responded with 223, gaining a 62-run lead. Their bowlers continued to control the game, striking early to leave the Indian top-order in disarray during the second innings. The Indian batting lineup once again faltered, with opener Abhimanyu Easwaran falling for 17 after a first-innings duck, and Sai Sudharsan dismissed cheaply. Devdutt Padikkal also departed for just 1 run, as Webster and McAndrew dismantled India’s batting lineup, leaving them at 56/5.
Dhruv Jurel (19) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (9) managed to hold off the Australian attack in the closing overs, preventing further damage. Prasidh Krishna and Mukesh Kumar had earlier led India A’s bowling effort, with Krishna taking four wickets and Mukesh three, but Australia A built a significant lead thanks to a steady 74 from Marcus Harris and a quick-fire 35 from Rocchiccioli lower down the order.
India A faces a challenging task ahead, with the top-order struggling to counter the combined pace and spin threat posed by Australia A.
