Prabhsimran's blazing ton, Iyer-Parag fifties guide India A to 2-1 series win over Australia A

Kanpur, Oct 5 (PTI) Opener Prabhsimran Singh smashed a scintillating 68-ball 102 before skipper Shreyas Iyer and Riyan Parag struck fluent half-centuries to guide India A to a two-wicket win over Australia A in the third and final unofficial ODI here on Sunday.

India won the series 2-1.

Opting to bat, Australia A recovered from an early wobble to post a competitive 316 in 49.1 overs, thanks to skipper Jack Edwards' 89 off 75 balls and an aggressive 73 from Liam Scott.

In reply, India A appeared to be cruising at 262 for three in the 35th over before a sudden collapse saw them slip to 301 for eight, losing five wickets in 57 balls.

But Vipraj Nigam (24 not out off 32 balls; 2x4, 1x6) and Arshdeep Singh (7 not out) held their nerves to complete the chase with 24 balls to spare.

There was some concern for India as left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh looked to be in visible discomfort while bowling during the Australia A innings, but he completed his spell and was the pick of the hosts attack, returning figures of 3/38.

Arshdeep, a regular in India's white-ball setup, is slated to fly to Australia later this month for the upcoming ODI and T20I series.

India A's chase began in blazing fashion as Prabhsimran and Abhishek Sharma (22 off 25 balls) added 83 runs in just 11.2 overs.

Abhishek was the first to fall, trying to clear long-off against Todd Murphy and finding the fielder.

Murphy struck again in his next over to remove Tilak Varma (3), but Prabhsimran continued to dominate the attack.

The Punjab dasher reached his century in just 66 balls.

Skipper Shreyas Iyer (62 off 58 balls; 7x4, 1x6) provided steady support in a 96-run third-wicket stand that set up the chase.

Iyer was at his fluent best, driving Liam Scott through the covers and upper-cutting Tom Straker for boundaries to raise his fifty from 51 balls.

After Prabhsimran's dismissal to Sangha in the 20th over, Parag took charge with a brisk 53-ball 58, studded with five fours and two sixes. His 117-run partnership with Iyer ensured India A remained ahead of the required rate.

However, the match took a twist when Sangha (4/72) and Murphy (4/42) combined to trigger a collapse.

From a comfortable position, India A lost Shreyas, Riyan and Nishant Sindhu in quick succession before Murphy dismissed Ayush Badoni and Harshit Rana off successive balls in the 42nd over.

Badoni, attempting a lofted hit over long-on, was caught just inside the boundary, while Rana fell for a golden duck as a skidding low delivery crashed into his stumps.

Arshdeep, however, calmly played out the hat-trick ball.

Earlier, India A's pace duo of Arshdeep (3/38) and Harshit Rana (3/61) rocked the visitors' top order, reducing them to 24 for three in six overs.

Arshdeep removed Jake Fraser-McGurk (5) and Mackenzie Harvey (0) in successive overs, while Rana dismissed Harry Dixon (1) to tighten the screws.

Cooper Connolly (64 off 49; 5x4, 4x6) counter-attacked, adding 71 runs with Lachlan Shaw (32) before falling to Badoni (2/31) while trying to clear long-on.

Edwards and Scott then rebuilt the innings superbly, adding 152 runs for the seventh wicket in just 20 overs to take Australia to a commanding total.

Edwards struck eight fours and three sixes before being dismissed by Arshdeep in the 45th over, while Scott's 64-ball 73 featured one four and six sixes.

The lower order, however, contributed little as the visitors were bowled out with five balls remaining.

India A had won the opening fixture by 171 runs before Australia A levelled the series with a nine-wicket victory in the second match.

Brief Scores: Australia A 316 in 49.1 overs (Jack Edwards 89, Liam Scott 73, Cooper Connolly 64; Arshdeep Singh 3/38, Harshit Rana 3/61, Ayush Badoni 2/31) lost to India A 322/8 in 46 overs (Prabhsimran Singh 102, Shreyas Iyer 62, Riyan Parag 62; Todd Murphy 4/42, Tanveer Sangha 4/72) by two wickets. PTI TAP TAP AH AH