A fighting fourth-wicket stand of 64 between Shreyas Iyer (37, 2x4, 3x6) and Vijay Shankar (47 not out, 7x4, 1x6), followed up by the fifth worth 54 between the latter and Deepak Hooda (35 not out, 3x4, 2x6) decisively swung the third one-dayer between India-A and New Zealand-A at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy international stadium on Wednesday the hosts’ way.
The Kiwis were restricted to 143, largely by Karn Sharma’s five for 22. Operating uninterrupted from the D.V. Subba Rao end, the Vidarbha leggie’s guiles cleaned up the latter half of the visiting side including top scorer Henry Nicholls (35, 3x4).
After the tourists opted to bat, the left-handed duo of George Worker and Colin Munro set off to a sedate start. Thereon, bowling changes paid dividends each time.
With Worker’s patience running thin, he edged first change Hooda to ’keeper Shreevats Goswami. Munro too departed, held by backward point Karn off a slower one from Basil Thampi.
Tuesday night’s centurion Glenn Phillips let down his defences early this time; Vijay Shankar’s first delivery, a straight one crashed into the woodwork and pegged back his middle stump.
Tom Bruce perished sweeping against Karn’s spin, the top edge picked up by short-fine leg Nadeem, and Nicholls’ loft off a wrong ’un found long on. Tim Seifert was caught and bowled by Shahbaz Nadeem.
Karn then bowled his wrist-spinning counterpart Todd Astle, got Ish Sodhi to edge to slip and castled Colin de Grandhomme, the latter’s bat hurtling towards the square leg umpire after it slipped from his hands in an attempted heave.
India-A’s response was not exactly solid.
Prithvi Shaw was pouched by stumper Seifert off Astle and Mayank Agarwal was also caught behind but off Lockie Ferguson, while Goswami had his timbers rattled by Sodhi.
The onus again fell on Shreyas Iyer to revive the hosts’ innings.
Yet to open his account, the home side skipper popped a chance to short-leg Phillips, who spilt the chance off Ferguson.
Kept quiet for an entire over by Astle, Shreyas hoisted him into the sight screen in the next. Shreyas launched another full toss from the leggie into the galleries behind cow corner.
The scores: New Zealand-A 143 in 37.1 overs (Henry Nicholls 35, Karn Sharma five for 22) lost to India-A 144 for four in 24.4 overs (Shreyas Iyer 37, Vijay Shankar 47 n.o., Deepak Hooda 35 n.o.) .
