India A captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and top-order batter Devdutt Padikkal struggled again in the third and final ODI against Australia A at the Cricket Association Puducherry Siechem Ground on Sunday. Gaikwad scored 33 off 57 balls, while Padikkal managed just two runs as India A lost wickets after a promising start.
India A entered the match trailing 2-0 and needed a victory to avoid a series whitewash. With the 2027 ODI World Cup approaching, the series offered players an opportunity to strengthen their claims for senior-team selection. However, several batters failed to capitalise on their chances against Australia A.
Devdutt Padikkal Endures Another Disappointing Outing
Devdutt Padikkal’s difficult series continued as he scored just two runs off six deliveries. He came to the crease after Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh put together an 82-run opening partnership, but Liam Scott dismissed him soon after.
Padikkal attempted an aggressive shot against a full delivery outside off stump but mistimed it. The ball took the toe end of his bat and went towards Australia A captain Todd Murphy at mid-on, who completed a comfortable catch. The dismissal left India A at 96/2 and gave Scott his second wicket.
The left-hander finished the three-match series with scores of 0, 1 and 2. His repeated failures have made it harder for him to strengthen his case for a place in India’s senior white-ball setup, particularly with competition for top-order positions remaining intense.
Ruturaj Gaikwad Fails to Convert His Start
Ruturaj Gaikwad also failed to make a substantial contribution. He scored 33 off 57 balls before Mitchell Owen bowled him in the 30th over. Gaikwad attempted to guide a delivery towards third man but played the ball onto his stumps, ending his innings just as he looked to accelerate.
The right-hander had scored 15 and 12 in the first two matches, taking his series tally to 60 runs. His latest dismissal added to India A’s problems after the team had started strongly against Australia A.
India A made a strong start after Australia A won the toss and chose to bowl. The opening pair of Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh added 82 runs in the first 10 overs, putting the hosts in a commanding position.
However, Liam Scott broke the partnership by dismissing Prabhsimran for 39. Padikkal fell soon after, and Ben Dwarshuis removed Arya for 49 when the opener edged a delivery behind while attempting to reach his half-century. Australia A continued to apply pressure as India A lost wickets in quick succession.
Rajat Patidar, who had scored two consecutive fifties earlier in the series, managed only three runs in the third ODI. India A slumped from 82 without loss to 165/6, allowing Australia A to regain control.
“On This Surface, Batting Is a Little Bit Tough” – Ruturaj Gaikwad
Speaking before the match, Ruturaj Gaikwad emphasized the need to adapt to the Puducherry pitch and improve the team’s batting contributions.
“On this surface, batting is a little bit tough. You have to adjust and adapt pretty well. That is one thing we would like to do in this game. We have spoken about it. It did not happen in the last game, but there are positives. Rajat played really well. Anukul also played well. Batting is where we would like to contribute more,” Ruturaj Gaikwad said.
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