India A clinched a 1-0 series victory over Australia A after surviving a dramatic final-day rearguard action in the second unofficial Test at Puducherry on 2 October 2026. Set an imposing fourth-innings target of 365, India A finished on 310/9 in 103 overs — just 55 runs short — but held out long enough to secure the draw and bank the series following their 162-run win in the first game.

The Rearguard That Saved India A

The rescue operation hinged on two of cricket's most thankless roles: the nightwatchman and the tail-ender. Tushar Deshpande, the Mumbai pacer pressed into nightwatchman duty, stonewalled Australia A's seamers for 180 minutes and struck his second first-class fifty, contributing 52 runs. He shared a crucial 60-run stand with India A captain Devdutt Padikkal (26) to stabilise the innings in the opening session.

Yash Rathod then constructed the afternoon's most important innings, a composed 80 that gave India A a platform. His eighth-wicket partnership with Shams Mulani — player of the series — produced 85 runs off 131 deliveries, a grinding, attritional stand that swallowed overs and steadily suffocated Australia A's chances of a series-levelling win.

Scott's Late Burst Almost Undid It All

Australia A medium-pacer Liam Scott was the chief menace, finishing with a match-changing 5 for 52. He removed Padikkal via a sharp catch by keeper Josh Philippe, had Deshpande caught by Liam Hatcher, and snuffed out the dangerous Kumar Kushagra — who had scored a century in the first match. Corey Rocchiccioli, the off-spinner, dismissed Tanush Kotian, leaving India A teetering at 199/7 in 60.2 overs with more than a session still to survive.

Scott struck again late, trapping Rathod lbw just as a draw looked assured, and then removed Mulani lbw two overs later to reduce India A to nine down with just three overs remaining. The match hung on a knife's edge.

Bhute and Hinge Hold the Fort

Nachiket Bhute (20 not out off 21 balls) and substitute number eleven Praful Hinge (0 not out off 6 balls) held on through the final overs to seal the draw. Notably, regular number eleven Anshul Kamboj had been called up to India's senior squad for the third ODI against the West Indies, making Hinge's unbeaten vigil all the more significant in the context of India A's thin resources at the death.

Series Context and Takeaways

The series result — built on a convincing first-game win and a steely survival in the second — underlines India A's depth across formats. Mulani's back-to-the-wall contributions throughout the series earned him the player-of-the-series award. This was also a strong audition ground for fringe India contenders: Rathod's gritty 80 under pressure, Deshpande's composed half-century, and Bhute's nerve under the pump will all register with selectors. Australia A's batting, led by Jason Sangha (44 not out) and Sam Konstas (40) in their second innings, set up a testing declaration, but the hosts' determination ultimately proved the difference.

Brief scores: Australia A 358 & 173/4 decl (Jason Sangha 44*, Sam Konstas 40; Tanush Kotian 2-55) drew with India A 167 & 310/9 (Yash Rathod 80, Tushar Deshpande 52; Liam Scott 5-37). India A won the series 1-0.