Chennai: Left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe kept India A in check as he bagged figures of three for 83 for Australia A to reduce the hosts to 267 for 6 in their second innings at the end of the third day’s play of the second and final four-day match at the M.A. Chidambaram stadium here on Friday.
Resuming the day at 329 for 9 in their first innings, the visitors added 20 more runs to be finally bowled out for 349 as Pragyan Ojha got rid of Andrew Fekete for 10.
After conceding a first innings lead of 214, India were jolted up front as skipper Cheteshwar Pujara got out cheaply for 11, failing to make his ground.
Opener Abhinav Mukund and India’s Test captain Virat Kohli then got together to put on a partnership of 63 runs for the second wicket.
Both batsmen looked at ease facing the Australian bowling attack, with Kohli racing to 45, which included five delightful boundaries. Just when the duo looked well set, O’Keefe rocked Kohli’s citadel.
However, Mukund carried on batting unfazed by the loss of two wickets and forged another partnership with Karun Nair, who scored a pacy 31 off just 34 balls.
Australia pacer Gurinder Sandhu then got rid of Nair as the score read 134 for 3 in 45.5 overs.
Mumbai batsman Shreyas Iyer then got together with Mukund to knit yet another useful partnership of 70.
Mukund (59) fell shortly after getting to his fifty, while Iyer soon followed him as the hosts found themselves struggling at 210 for 5.
Wicket-keeper Naman Ojha was the last man to go as he spooned one to Usman Khawaja off O’Keefe.
India A added 10 runs more after Ojha’s loss to rest at 267 for 6 at the end of the third day’s play. They lead by only 53 runs with four wickets to spare.
