Jurnor Brar’s 10-wicket powerhouse wins for India (Photo: cricinfo)
Fast bowler Girnur Brar strengthened his case in the first Test with a thrilling 10-wicket haul as India A thrashed Sri Lanka A by 10 wickets in the second unofficial Test at the Galle International Stadium on Sunday.
The huge win gave the Dhruv Gurriel-led Indian team a 1-0 win in the two-match red-ball series after the opening match ended in a draw.
Brar steals the show
Brar was the undisputed star of the match, finishing the match with impressive figures of 4/77 in the first innings and 6/68 in the second innings to take 10 wickets in the match. The Punjab pacer cracked the Sri Lanka A batting line-up on the final day, helping to bowl out the hosts for 209 in the second innings.His performance comes at a perfect time, as India is scheduled to tour Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series next month. After impressing in his ODI debut against Afghanistan last month but missing out on his Test debut, Brar has now made a convincing red-ball statement.
Sudharsen cements India’s dominance
Earlier in the match, Sai Sudharsen laid the foundation for India’s crushing victory with a brilliant score of 168, taking India A to a reported 543/9 after Sri Lanka A had posted 366 in the first innings.
Devdutt Padikkal contributed 94 runs, while Saransh Jain remained unbeaten with 70 to extend India’s lead. Jain also impressed with the ball, taking six wickets during the match.Sri Lanka A found little resistance except for Achin Bandara’s battling 87, as Brar and the Indian bowlers ended the innings quickly.Setting a modest target of 33, India A completed the chase without losing a wicket. Sudharsen remained unbeaten with 25, while Aman Makhadi finished 11th not out, claiming victory by just 6.2 lengths.
Perfect preparation before the Sri Lanka Tests
With the India senior team set to begin the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium on August 15, players like Sudharsinh, Padikkal, Gurriel and Brar have gained valuable match practice and strengthened their claims for selection.The second Test of the series will be played at the Sinhala Sports Club Stadium from August 23.
