Jadhav, Samson lift India A to win

Fifties from Kedar Jadhav and Sanju Samson lifted India A to a three-wicket win over the National Performance Squad after they had stumbled to 5 for 63 in the 235-run chase. The win helped India A maintain their lead at the top of the points table.

Jadhav and Samson came together after NPS bowlers James Muirhead and Sean Abbott had scythed through the India A line-up, accounting for Robin Uthappa, Manish Pandey, Manoj Tiwary and Ambati Rayudu.

In his second game of the tour, Jadhav blasted a 53-ball 87 with 11 fours and four sixes. After he fell with the score at 6 for 175, Samson, India's leading run-scorer in the series, steered the chase, adding 36 runs with a brisk Rishi Dhawan and eventually taking India across the line in the 40th. Muirhead, who finished with four wickets, was also the most expensive bowler for Australia, conceding 92 in his 10 overs.

Earlier, Jordan Silk and Ashton Turner had led NPS to a competitive 9 for 234, also helped by a cameo from Abbott. The 94-run, fifth-wicket partnership between Silk and Turner revived NPS after they were struggling at 4 for 45, with Rahul Shukla and Rishi Dhawan doing the damage. The stand was broken when Silk was run-out for 67, one of four NPS batsmen to lose their wicket in the manner. Turner fell for an 89-ball 73 but it was Abbott's 39-ball 41 that lifted the side. He added an important 38 runs with last-man Sam Rainbird.