Philippe’s Blistering Century Propels Australia A to 532, India A Respond Steadily Before Rain Ends Day 2
Josh Philippe smashed a rapid-fire unbeaten century to power Australia A to a commanding 532 for 6 declared on the second day of the first unofficial Test against India A in Lucknow. In response, the hosts reached 116 for 1 before rain forced an early end to play.
Philippe lit up the morning session with an electrifying 123* off just 87 deliveries, helping Australia A pile on 195 runs in 25 overs before declaring. With Sam Konstas scoring 109 on the opening day and Liam Scott contributing 81, Australia A maintained a scoring rate of 5.43 through 98 overs of aggressive, positive cricket.
Resuming the day at 337 for 5, Australia A made their intentions clear from the outset. Philippe, who was dropped on 26 by India A wicketkeeper N Jagadeesan, capitalised on the reprieve and raced to his half-century off 55 balls. He shared a brisk 81-run stand for the sixth wicket with Scott before the latter fell to Gurnoor Brar.
The final flourish came through an unbroken 118-run stand in just 62 balls between Philippe and Xavier Bartlett. Bartlett smashed 39* off just 24 deliveries, while Philippe brought up his hundred in 77 balls — a knock featuring 18 fours and four sixes.
“I just looked to be positive. It was a good wicket and Scotty batted beautifully,” Philippe said after play. “Then Xavier came in and we had a nice little partnership. Once we knew the declaration was coming, it was about taking the game on and attacking the spinners.”
Philippe launched a brutal assault on spinners Harsh Dubey and Tanush Kotian, taking 28 runs off consecutive overs as Australia A surged past 500.
India A’s response was solid. Openers Abhimanyu Easwaran and N Jagadeesan added 88 for the first wicket, with Easwaran scoring 44 before being bowled by Scott. Jagadeesan remained unbeaten on 50 at stumps, joined by B Sai Sudharsan (20*), as the hosts trailed by 416 runs.
Only 55 overs were possible on the second day, with rain washing out the post-tea session.
Despite the heavy scoring from the visitors, Philippe believes the pitch could still offer help for the bowlers as the match progresses.
“I think it’s still a pretty good wicket,” he noted. “But there were some signs of spin, and hopefully as the game wears on, it continues to deteriorate and our spinners can come into play.”
Match Summary:
Australia A: 532/6 dec (Josh Philippe 123*, Sam Konstas 109, Liam Scott 81; Harsh Dubey 3-141)
India A: 116/1 (N Jagadeesan 50*, Abhimanyu Easwaran 44)
India A trail by 416 runs
With three days left and weather still a factor, both sides will be eyeing key sessions ahead to tilt the contest in their favour.