Gurkeerat stars in India A victory
Gurkeerat Singh led India A to a comprehensive 96-run victory over Bangladesh A in the first of the three-match unofficial One-Day International series at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.
The Punjab all-rounder followed up his 65 with a five-wicket haul as Rahul Dravid-coached hosts ran up 322-7 and bundled out the tourists for 226.
Bangladesh A’s decision to bowl first on a lively-looking pitch appeared to have worked as they reduced the home side to 125-5 despite a half century by opener Mayank Agarwal.
The Unmukt Chand-led team, with International regular Suresh Raina in the ranks, was, however, lifted by a feisty lower middle-order, with wicketkeeper-bat Sanju Samson and Rishi Dhawan also cracking fifties.
Gurkeerat shared in a 102-run stand for the sixth wicket with Samson before falling lbw to left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny. Samson and Dhawan put on 78 for the next as India A eventually plundered 98 runs in the last 10 overs.
Left-arm seamer S Aravind blew away Bangladesh A’s top three batsmen for just 34, and the tourists were left reeling at 87-5 after medium pacer Rishi Dhawan sent back skipper Mominul Haque and Sabbir Rahman. Wicketkeeper-bat Liton Das (75) and Nasir Hossain (52) put on 120 for the sixth wicket to lift the visitors before off-spinner Gurkeerat dismissed the two in the space of three overs and then polished off the tail.
The other two matches will also be played in Bangalore on Sept 18 and Sept 20.
Brief scores: India A 322 for 7 in 50 overs (M Agarwal 56, S Samson 73, Gurkeerat 65, R Dhawan 56 not out) beat Bangladesh A 226 in 42.3 overs (L Das 75, N Hossain 52, Gurkeerat 5-29, S Aravind 3-29).
