Australia A produced a clinical all-round performance to beat India A by 25 runs, which ensured them a place in the final of the tri-series involving A teams here on Sunday.
With Australia qualifying for the summit clash, the result of final round robin match between India and South Africa will decide on the other finalists.
Opting to bat, Australia A scored 310/7 riding on Shaun Marsh’s 96 and marauding Glenn Maxwell’s 56-ball 93. Their bowlers then came back to dismiss India A for 285 in 48.3 overs.
Despite best efforts from Rohit Sharma (61, 57 balls, 7x4, 2x6), Murali Vijay (60, 77 balls, 7x4, 1x6) and skipper Cheteshwar Pujara (51, 64 balls, 4x4), India were stopped well short of the target.
Seamers Josh Hazlewood (3/59) and Moises Henriques (3/24) were the most successful bowlers for Australia.
Young Parveez Rasool’s cameo (27, 23 balls, 3x4) wasn’t good enough to stop the Aussies from beating India for the second time in the tournament.
SCORECARD
Australia A innings: S. Marsh b Binny 96, A. Finch b Nadeem 27, N. Maddinson c & b Rasool 12, G. Maxwell b Binny 93, M. Marsh c Rayudu b Shami 34, M. Henriques b Binny 0, T. Paine c Pujara b Binny 3, N. Coulter-Nile (not out) 37. Extras (lb3, w3, nb2) 8. Total (for 7 wkts; in 50 overs) 310.
FoW: 1-53, 2-94, 3-233, 4-238, 5-238, 6-250, 7-310.
Bowling: Shami 9-0-49-1 (1w), Kaul 9-0-64-0 (2nb, 1w), Binny 10-0-55-4, Nadeem 10-0-52-1, Rasool 9-0-55-1 (1w), Raina 2-0-13-0, Sharma 1-0-19-0.
India A innings: R. Sharma (run out) 61, M. Vijay c Hazlewood b Marsh 60, C. Pujara c sub b Hazlewood 51, S. Raina b Maxwell 6, D. Karthik lbw b Hazlewood 6, A. Rayudu c sub b Hazlewood 32, S. Binny st Paine b Fawad 2, P. Rasool (not out) 27, M. Shami b Henriques 14, S. Kaul c Paine b Henriques 11, S. Nadeem c Fawad b Henriques 3. Extras (lb8, w4) 12. Total (in 48.3 overs) 285.
FoW: 1-79, 2-157, 3-175, 4-191, 5-200, 6-217, 7-235, 8-251, 9-275.
Bowling: Hazlewood 9-0-59-3 (1w), Sandhu 5-0-30-0 (1w), Coulter-Nile 5-0-23-0, Maxwell 6-0-30-1, Finch 1-0-7-0 (1w), Fawad 10-0-73-1, Henriques 6.3-0-24-3, Marsh 6-0-31-1.