Manoj Tiwary’s 83 helps India A end day at 304/6

Brisbane, July 6 :

India A captain Manoj Tiwary and wicketkeeper-batsman Naman Ojha steadied their ship after a shaky start to end Day 1 at 304/6 in the first of the four-day matches against Australia A at the Allan Border Field here Sunday.

Tiwary’s knock of 83 took the visitors closer to the 200-mark before getting out while Ojha, unbeaten at 82, anchored the innings batting lower down the order to take his team beyond 300. Manoj Tiwary (source: AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)[/captiony

Tiwary won the toss and elected to bat on a good batting track but pacer Ben Cutting (2/65) struck within the first hour, trapping Lokesh Rahul (15) leg before.

All-rounder Mitchell Marsh (2/46) chimed in with quick two wickets in consecutive overs (Robin Uthappa 23, Ambati Rayudu 0) and India A headed into the lunch break, reeling at 76/3.

However, the Indian side consolidated after lunch with a 134-run partnership between Jiwanjot Singh and Tiwary. Cutting made the breakthrough and took the only wicket for the second session – Singh (56) – getting him caught down leg-side by Sam Whiteman before the visitors went to tea at 187/4.

Spinner Cameron Boyce (2/84) took the first over after tea and had an immediate impact with his second ball. Tiwary went after a well-flighted delivery and missed, to be sharply stumped by Whiteman for a good knock off 118 balls.

Boyce snared his second wicket in the last over before the new ball and had Karun Nair (26) caught in the deep by a diving Chris Lynn.

At the close of play, the not-out batsmen were Ojha (82) and Dhawal Kulkarni (12).

Brief scores: India A 306/4 (Manoj Tiwary 83, Naman Ojha not out 82, Jiwanjot Singh 56; Mitchell Marsh 2/46, Ben Cutting 2/65, Cameron Boyce 2/84).

(IANS)