Iyer slams double ton as India A hold Australia

Shreyas Iyer slammed an unbeaten double century for India A while Australia spinners Nathan Lyon and Steve O'Keefe performed well with the ball as their three-day practice match ended in a draw at the Brabourne Stadium here on Sunday.

Resuming from where he left off on Saturday, Iyer continued to take on the Australian bowling and remained unbeaten on 202 even as India A were dismissed for 403 in their first innings.

Iyer scored at a rapid rate, studding his 210-ball stint with 27 boundaries and seven well-struck sixes.

For the visitors, Lyon notched up figures of 4/162 while O'Keefe recorded 3/101.

The visitors then notched up 110/4 in their second innings by the close of the final day's play as the match ended in a draw. The visitors had declared their first innings at 469/7.

Resuming the final day at the overnight score of 176/4, Iyer completed a 55-run stand with Rishabh Pant before the hosts lost a couple of wickets in quick succession.

Steve O'Keefe pulled off an excellent caught and bowled attempt to dismiss Pant and hand the visitors their first success of the day. Inshan Kishan lasted just 16 balls before he was caught behind off Mitchell Marsh's bowling.

Krishnappa Gowtham then joined Iyer in the middle and the duo added 138 runs between them. Gowtham scored a quickfire 74 runs off 68 balls with 10 boundaries and four sixes.

He was bowled by O'Keefe following which the Indian A innings came to a rapid end.

Apart from Lyon and O'Keefe, pacer Jackson Bird also did well with the ball, returning figures of 2/60 while Marsh finished with 1/45.

The Australians started their second innings on a high note, scoring at more than six runs an over in the initial stage before opener Matt Renshaw was dismissed by India A pacer Ashok Dinda.

Navdeep Saini bowled Glenn Maxwell just three overs later while Dinda dismissed the dangerous David Warner soon after to leave the visitors struggling at 59/3.

But O'Keefe and Peter Handscomb produced a 42-run stand to pull the visitors out of trouble.

Handscomb scored 37 runs before being sent back to the pavilion by Pant. O'Keefe remained unbeaten on 19.

Brief scores:

Australia: 469/7 declared and 110/4 (Peter Handscomb 37, David Warner 35) vs India A (First Innings): 403 (Shreyas Iyer 202 not out, Krishnappa Gowtham 74; Nathan Lyon 4/162, Steve O'Keefe 3/101, Jackson Bird 2/60).

--IANS

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