A century from opening batsman Murali Vijay was the highlight of the day for India as their tour match against a Cricket Australia XI in Sydney ended in a draw on Saturday.
India’s bowlers were once again given a workaround by CA XI batsmen on the final day at the Sydney Cricket Ground with wicketkeeper Harry Nielsen bringing up a fine century.
The hosts ultimately posted a mammoth 544 in their first innings in reply to India’s 358, garnering an overall lead of 186 runs.
In response, India posted 211-2 in their second innings before stumps. Vijay warmed up for the first Test against Australia with a 132-ball 129 which included 16 hits to the boundary and five sixes.
His opening partner KL Rahul finally found some form with the right-hander slamming a 98-ball 62 before he was dismissed by D’Arcy Short. The performance of the two openers will please the Indian team management with young Prithvi Shaw ruled out of the Adelaide Test against Australia with an ankle injury.
Earlier in the day, Nielsen and Aaron Hardie continued from where they left off on Friday and continued to frustrate India’s bowlers with a stubborn stand. The pair added 220 runs for the sixth wicket before Nielsen was dismissed by the medium pace of India skipper Virat Kohli.
Kohli rolled down his arm too and bagged a wicket.
With the tourists struggling in the bowling department, Kohli sent down seven overs in total with his part-time medium pace while Vijay too rolled down five overs of his off-spin.
Ishant Sharma picked up his only wicket of the match to dismiss Hardie (86) while Ravichandran Ashwin sent back Daniel Fallins (43) to register his second scalp.
Pacer Jasprit Bumrah was given a brief run with the ball, bowling seven deliveries in total as he sent back last man Jackson Coleman to bring the CA XI innings to a close.
The fixture serves as India’s sole warm-up game before the start of the Test battle against the hosts. The four-match Test series will get under way at the Adelaide Oval on December 6.
BRIEF SCORES
Result: Match drawn
India first innings: 358 runs
Cricket Australia XI first innings: 544
Harry Nielsen – 100 (170)
Aaron Hardie – 86 (141)
Mohammed Shami: 3-97
India second innings: 211-2
KL Rahul – 62 (98)
Murali Vijay – 129 (132)
