Pujara, Kulkarni star in emphatic win for India A

India A 281 for 7 (Pujara 122*, Mukund 50) beat Scotland 129 (Kulkarni 5-29, Abdulla 3-21) by 152 runs
Scorecard

Cheteshwar Pujara and Dhawal Kulkarni embellished their reputations as India A bounced back from their shocking defeat in the previous game to thump Scotland by 152 runs in Glasgow. The visitors started off edgily after winning the toss, losing Shikhar Dhawan edging to second slip. Ajinkya Rahane was reprieved by Richie Berrington at point, and in Abhinav Mukund's company he settled down to see off the early threat. Fifty runs were on the board when Pujara took guard, and in Mukund's company, he set his side up for another big score. The pair added 83 runs without fuss, before Pujara's uncertain call left his partner stranded. Mukund had struck six fours in his fifty which came of 60 balls, and was flustered by the way his innings was ended.

Pujara was determined to make up for the misunderstanding, and with Manoj Tiwary took the innings into overdrive. Tiwary hustled for 41 off 45 balls, but the mainstay of the 109-run stand was Pujara who kept accelerating through the innings. He began the onslaught with a six off Gordon Drummond in the 38th over and picked Ally Evans for 12 in the next over. Despite the loss of a few wickets in the end overs, Pujara kept going and finished with 122 off 117 balls, as India A posted 281.

Scotland's chase got off to the kind of start that necessitated another miracle comeback, but today the Indian bowlers ensured that it did not happen. Dhawal Kulkarni was the star of the show, as all three seamers kept the pressure up. None of the batsmen barring Moneeb Iqbal and Richie Berrington crossed 20 as wickets fell at regular intervals. Kulkarni finished with a five-for while the biggest highlight of the innings was Iqbal Abdulla's freakish dismissal of Matthew Parker, out lbw sweeping an intentional double-bouncer. The hosts eventually folded for 129, not even half way to their target.