Watch: Mukesh Kumar, Manav Suthar steal the show with on-field antics

India A took on Australia A in the first four-day game at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay. On Day 3 of the game, Australia were batting on 129/3 with Beau Webster and Nathan McSweeney on strike in the 45th  over. As the stumps on Day 3 neared, there was problem with the pitch at the bowlers foot landing spot at the crease.

There was some sawdust sprinkled on the concerned area and was subsequently hammered to level it down. Notably, it was Indian pacer Mukesh Kumar who took the hammer and proceeded with the groundmen’s drill. Subsequently as the players converged near the pitch, Manav Suthar took a ride on the groundsmen's vehicle to get back to fielding his position in the deep.

Here’s the video of the incident:

Australia A cruising towards the target 

Meanwhile, speaking of the match, after Australia A won the toss and opted to bowl first, India were bundled up for just 107 with Devdutt Padikkal’s 36 being the highest-scorer. For Australia A, Brendan Doggett dazzled with six wickets. India then managed to contain the hosts for 195 runs on the back of Mukesh’s six-fer, as their opponents took an 88-run lead. 

Also Read: Ponting names McSweeney as Australia’s potential opener for BGT 2024-25

In the second innings, Sai Sudharsan led the attack and scored a brilliant 103 while Padikkal continued his good touch and contributed with 88 runs as India ended their innings on 312 runs, setting a 225-run target for their rivals.

In response, Australia lost Sam Konstas, Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft after all three got a start. The hosts eventually ended Day 3 on 139/3, with skipper Nathan McSweeney (unbeaten 47) and Beau Webser (unbeaten 19) in the middle with their team 86 runs away from a win. 

Squads for India A vs Australia A series

India A: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Abhimanyu Easwaran (vc), Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Devdutt Padikkal, Ricky Bhui, Baba Indrajith, Ishan Kishan (wk), Abishek Porel (wk), Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Dayal, Navdeep Saini, Manav Suthar, Tanush Kotian.

Australia A: Nathan McSweeney (c), Cameron Bancroft, Scott Boland, Jordan Buckingham, Cooper Connolly, Ollie Davies, Brendan Doggett, Marcus Harris, Sam Konstas, Nathan McAndrew, Michael Neser, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Jimmy Peirson, Josh Philippe, Corey Rocchiccioli, Beau Webster.