With the West Indies series coming up, this series is seen as the dress rehearsal for new players to make a mark in red-ball cricket, while the experienced ones are looking to knock on selectors' doors for a place in the Indian Test team.
Sheryas Iyer is back on the field leading India A in an unofficial test match against Australia A on Tuesday, September 16. However, the Board of Control of Cricket in India is not broadcasting the ongoing unofficial Test in Lucknow. BCCI, being the richest cricketing body, was expected to live-stream the match with big names taking the field.
With the West Indies series coming up, this series is seen as the dress rehearsal to not only make a mark in red-ball cricket but also push for a place in the Indian team. The fans are now forced to rely only on score updates as a result of which they expressed their anger on social media.
Fans react to no live streaming of India A vs Australia A unofficial Test
Iyer last played a Test for India in February 2024, against England in Visakhapatnam. This is an opportunity for him to present his case for the two-match Test series at home against West Indies, which starts on October 2.
A day before the match, India-A coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar praised Iyer and said that he is in a good mindset. He said, "Shreyas Iyer is ready. He is a good player in all formats. His mindset is clear. He has also scored a century in test cricket. This is a big opportunity for the players. They will gain international experience. Most of these players have played the Duleep Trophy match,"
Australia A make strong start
After a rain delay, the start of the play on Day 1 Australia A won the toss and opted to bat against India A. The visitors were 205/2 at the time of writing.
After a 198 run stand by Australian openers Sam Konstas and Campbell Kellaway, India finally got their breakthrough post tea. Punjab pacer Gurnoor Brar on his India A debut, got the wicket of Campbell Kellaway, who departed for 88 caught by Tanush Kotian. Skipper Nathan Mcsweeney was trapped leg before wicket for just 1 run by Hardh Dubey