India A’s Strongest playing 11 for Red-Ball Series vs Australia A

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India A will play two four-day games against Australia A, starting Tuesday, September 16 in Lucknow. Shreyas Iyer will be the captain of the team. This squad has a mix of senior players and young talent, giving India A a strong chance to perform well.

Openers: Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sai Sudharsan

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Abhimanyu Easwaran is expected to start as an opener. He has been a steady run-scorer in domestic cricket. His partner is likely to be Sai Sudharsan, who has opened in tough matches before and knows how to handle fast bowlers. Devdutt Padikkal is another option, but Sudharsan might get the first chance.In the second game, KL Rahul will join the team and is expected to open the innings.

Middle Order: Devdutt Padikkal, Shreyas Iyer, Dhruv Jurel, Ayush Badoni, Nitish Kumar Reddy

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Padikkal could bat at No. 3 since he has good stroke play and can keep the scoreboard moving. Captain Shreyas Iyer will come in at No. 4 and will be eager to prove his form in red-ball cricket.

Wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel is expected to play at No. 5, ahead of N Jagadeesan, because of his reliable batting and solid keeping skills.

Ayush Badoni and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy strengthen the lower middle order. Both can score quick runs and give some bowling support if needed.

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Lower Order: Tanush Kotian, Harsh Dubey, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar

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Spin duties could go to Tanush Kotian and Harsh Dubey. Both have done very well in domestic cricket and can also add runs at the tail. Manav Suthar will be available as backup.

In pace bowling, Prasidh Krishna with his bounce and accuracy is the first-choice. He is likely to be joined by Gurnoor Brar, who has shown strong form in red-ball games.

Khaleel Ahmed provides left-arm pace variety but may not make the strongest XI. In the second match, Mohammed Siraj is set to join and will probably lead the bowling with Prasidh.

Predicted Playing 11

1. Abhimanyu Easwaran
2. Sai Sudharsan (KL Rahul in 2nd game)
3. Devdutt Padikkal
4. Shreyas Iyer (c)
5. Dhruv Jurel (wk)
6. Ayush Badoni
7. Nitish Kumar Reddy
8. Tanush Kotian
9. Harsh Dubey
10. Prasidh Krishna
11. Gurnoor Brar (Mohammed Siraj in 2nd game)

Final Note

India A looks balanced in batting and bowling. While the first game will test the youngsters, the addition of KL Rahul and Mohammed Siraj in the second game will give the team more strength. With Shreyas Iyer leading, India A will look to challenge a strong Australia A side.

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