On September 16, the start to the first unofficial Test between India A and Australia at Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow, was delayed due to rain. Australia A skipper Nathan McSweeney won the toss and opted to bat first in the first tour game. The notable omission from the Indian lineup was all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy.
The reason for Reddy’s absence is not clear. He was seen bowling on one of the side pitches before the start of the game.
A minimum of 78 overs are expected to be bowled on Day 1. The final session will end at 5:30 PM IST.
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This game marks the return of wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel who missed the Duleep Trophy 2025 games for Dhruv Jurel due to dengue. In his absence, Rajat Patidar was named captain and he led Central Zone to Duleep Trophy title win after nearly 11 years.
Other players who did not make it to India A’s playing XI are pacer Yash Thakur, batter Ayush Badoni and left-arm spinner Manav Suthar. Thakur remained wicketless in Duleep Trophy 2025 final. Badoni scored an unbeaten 204 against East Zone in Duleep Trophy 2025 quarterfinal. In the semifinal, he departed after scoring 40 runs. Suthar hasn't played red-ball cricket since January 2025.
India A Playing XI -
Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sai Sudharsan, Narayan Jagadeesan, Shreyas Iyer(c), Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Tanush Kotian, Harsh Dubey, Prasidh Krishna, Khaleel Ahmed, Gurnoor Brar.
Australia A Playing XI -
Sam Konstas, Campbell Kellaway, Nathan McSweeney(c), Oliver Peake, Josh Philippe (wk), Cooper Connolly, Liam Scott, Xavier Bartlett, Fergus O Neill, Corey Rocchiccioli, Todd Murphy.
Golden chance for Iyer
This will be a chance for 30-year-old Iyer to make a comeback into the Indian team. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to announce India's squad for the two-Test series against West Indies.
His most recent first-class appearance was in Duleep Trophy 2025 semifinal where he did not deliver for West Zone. Against Rajat Patidar's Central Zone, he registered scores of 25 and 12. His last Test appearance was against England in February 2024.