Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 5 : Prabhsimran Singh's flamboyant 102, backed up by half-centuries from captain Shreyas Iyer and Riyan Parag, fuelled India A's two-wicket victory and the 2-1 One Day series win against Australia A at Green Park on Sunday.
During the pursuit of a daunting 317-run target, India A were comfortably placed at 262/3 in the 35th over. However, the visitors mounted a comeback by scalping five wickets for 39 runs, ensuring India A lost its grip on the contest. However, Vipraj Nigam and Arshdeep Singh rose to the challenge and stitched an unbeaten 21-run stand for the ninth wicket to take India A home with a narrow two-wicket win in the decider.
Prabhsimran set the tone of the chase early on with his blistering 68-ball 102. He added 83 runs with Abhishek Sharma for the opening wicket before the latter was dimissed on 22 by Todd Murphy. Tilak Varma failed to replicate his previous match heroics and walked back cheaply on 3(6).
Despite two wickets falling in quick succession, Prabhsimran continued to dazzle with a fearless approach before perishing against leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha in the 20th over. Shreyas and Parag capitalised on the platform provided by Prabhsimran and added 117 off 92 balls for the fourth wicket. While Shreyas notched 62 off 58 balls, his second fifty-plus score in three one-dayers ahead of the Australia tour, Parag walloped 62 off 55.
Sangha stuck the hosts back by removing both set-batters in successive overs. Sangha continued to run rampant and dismissed Nishant Sindhu. Todd Murphy saw the opening and removed Ayush Badoni and Harshit Rana on successive deliveries in the 42nd over. Nigam (24*) and Arshdeep (7*), though, ensured that India A crossed the finishing line with 24 balls to spare.
Earlier in the contest, after winning the toss and electing to bat, Australia A were left jaded by Arshdeep Singh early on. The left-arm quick removed Mackenzie Harvey (7) and Jake Fraser-McGurk (5) to leave the tourists jolted on 22/2.
Harshit Rana, who bowled in tandem with Arshdeep to add to Australia A's piling woes by scalping the wickets of Harry Dixon (1) and Lachlan Hearne (16), leaving the visitors threadbare at 44/4 after eight overs.
Cooper Connolly resurrected Australia A's dwindling innings with a 49-ball 64, but the visitors were tangled in a mess once again after being left threadbare at 135/6 in 21 overs. Captain Jack Edwards (89) and Liam Scott (73) added 152 runs to power Australia A to 316.