Lagatar24 Desk
Canberra: India’s two-day pink-ball practice match against the Prime Minister’s XI was shortened to a single day of 46 overs per side due to rain but saw notable performances from Harshit Rana and Shubman Gill.
Opting to bowl first, India’s bowlers made early inroads, reducing the hosts to 138/7 before opener Sam Konstas anchored the innings with a stellar century. Konstas, supported by Hanno Jacobs’ aggressive 61, helped the PM’s XI post a competitive 240.
India’s bowling unit, led by Harshit Rana’s impressive 4-44, gained valuable practice under lights. Mohammad Siraj, Akash Deep, and Prasidh Krishna bowled six overs each, while spinners Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja also contributed despite being slightly expensive.
India’s response with the bat featured the successful opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul. Jaiswal scored a confident 45, and Rahul retired after getting valuable pink-ball exposure, paving the way for Shubman Gill’s return from injury. Gill capitalized with a fluent half-century, ensuring India stayed ahead.
Captain Rohit Sharma, batting in the middle order, struggled to find rhythm and was dismissed for just three. However, all-rounders Nitish Reddy and Washington Sundar added quickfire forties to boost India’s total to 257/5 by the end of their innings.
Brief Scores:
Prime Minister’s XI: 240 (Sam Konstas 107, Hanno Jacobs 61; Harshit Rana 4-44)
India: 257/5 (Shubman Gill 50, Yashasvi Jaiswal 45, Nitish Reddy 40).
