Nathan McSweeney-led Australia A team won the toss and invited Ruturaj Gaikwad's India A to bat first and thier decision turned out right as they got all out for just 107 runs in the first innings of the 1st unofficial Test which is being played at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay. The star of the Aussie team was Brendan Doggett who picked up 6 wickets and decimated the Indian batting line-up.
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Nitish Reddy fail to open account
Indian batters failed to perform in the first innings as they kept on losing wickets at regular intervals. Captain Ruturaj Gaiwkad and rising all-rounder Nitish Reddy even failed to get off the mark and open their accounts. Apart from three batters, no one could even manage to get to double digits.
Devdutt Padikkal was the team's highest run-scorer with 36 runs off 77. He along with Sai Sudharsan (21 off 35 balls) and Navdeep Saini (23 off 43 balls) got off to a good start but failed to turn them into big knocks. As a result, India A could only post 107 runs in the first innings.
Brendan Doggett's 6-fer
Brendan Doggett with his astonishing 6-wicket haul spell was the hero of the first innings. He not only ensured that Australia A restricted India A on a low score but also put them in a strong position where they could gain control of the match.
Apart from him, Jordan Buckingham took two wickets after dismissing both Indian openers. Meanwhile, Todd Murphy and Fergus O Neill took one wicket each.
