Ojha ton, Yadav 90 give India A lead

Naman Ojha's spectacular form came to India A's rescue as he compiled a third century in as many innings. He was dismissed, for the first time on the tour, for 110 as the visitors recovered from 6 for 268 to snatch a lead, which swelled to 78 courtesy Umesh Yadav providing his rendition of when tailenders attack, smashing 90 off 66 balls. There was time for just one ball in Australia A's second innings before bad light stopped play.

Australia A might have been hopeful of forcing a result when seamer Chadd Sayers struck on either side of drinks to complete his sixth five-wicket haul. However, Ojha strode out and stroked his first ball to the cover boundary and scorched Nathan Lyon for a six in the next over to lead a counterattack. India had laboured for 34 runs and lost both overnight batsmen - Manoj Tiwary (63) and B Aparajith (28 off 108 balls) - in 15 overs before Ojha's arrival, but since he took strike, 67 runs flowed in nine overs as Australia A waited for the new ball.

Success was found immediately once they took it, though, as Ambati Rayudu perished in the 82nd over ending an 69-run stand for the sixth wicket on the stroke of lunch. The deficit was still in excess of 100 when Australia resorted to spin which enhanced Ojha's threat considerably. He walloped Lyon for 14 runs in 95th over and the offspinner finished wicketless, conceding 147 runs in his 30 overs. Legspinner Cameron Boyce was a muted threat as well, conceding 101 in 23 overs. Yet the bulk of the work was shared among them and the new-ball bowlers, while James Faulkner and Mitchell Marsh were limited to 10 and 12 overs each.

Ojha's dismissal in the 112th over provided little relief for the hosts as Yadav too opened his account with a four and followed the same script. Yadav was 24 when last man Jasprit Bumrah came in, but the duo added 82 runs in 89 balls. Spin fed this stand as well, with Yadav lacing 40 off 29 balls from Lyon and 20 off 15 from Boyce. He had already collected a five wickets in the first innings and seemed headed towards sweeter rewards as he went from 73 to 87 in three lusty blows before perishing in search of another.