Cheteshwar Pujara clean bowled for a duck with ‘an absolute beauty’ against Australia A

Cheteshwar Pujara who started his Australia tour with a solid half-century in the first innings, received an ‘absolute beauty’ from Australia pacer Michael Neser in the second innings and was cleaned bowled for a duck even as Indians tried hard to avoid defeat against Australia A in the three-day tour game at the Drummoyne Oval in Sydney.

Pujara had just walked out to the crease after the fall of India A’s first wicket in the form of Prithvi Shaw and was looking quite solid in the middle before Neser got one to just hold its line off the seam in the 10th over.

Pujara, who has a tendency not to get a big stride in especially early into his innings, expected the ball to come in with the angle but it just held its line and beat his defensive push to hit the top of off stump.

Neser then dismissed Hanuma Vihari for 28 to claim his second wicket.

India A captain Ajinkya Rahane, who had scored a classy century in the first innings, was out for 28.

Young openers Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill could not make the most of this opportunity. Shaw could only manage 13 while Gill was dismissed for 29. Both of them could not open their accounts in the first innings.

Queensland fast bowler Mark Steketee picked up a five-wicket haul in the 2nd innings for Australia A.

Resuming the day at 286 for 8, Australia A declared at 306 for 9 with a lead of 59 runs.

This is India’s first tour game of this Australia tour. They will play another pink ball tour game before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy begins with the first-ever day-night Test between the two sides on December 17 at the Adelaide Oval.

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