A nasty collision between wicketkeeper Prabhsimran Singh and Nishant Sindhu briefly halted play during the first unofficial ODI between India A and Australia A in Puducherry. The two fielders collided while going for a high catch, but Prabhsimran Singh held on to the ball to complete the dismissal.
Australia A won the toss and chose to bat on Tuesday, October 6, at the Cricket Association Puducherry Siechem Ground. Ruturaj Gaikwad is leading the home team, with Devdutt Padikkal as his deputy. India A won the preceding unofficial Test series 1-0, winning the first match before the second ended in a draw.
Prabhsimran Singh and Nishant Sindhu Survive Nasty Collision
The incident took place in the second over when Yash Thakur bowled a short delivery outside off to Mitchell Owen. The Australian opener attempted a pull but mistimed the shot, sending the ball high towards the cover-point region.
Prabhsimran Singh ran towards the ball and repeatedly called for the catch, but Nishant Sindhu also moved forward from cover-point. The two players collided while trying to complete the catch, with both falling to the ground.
Despite the impact, Prabhsimran Singh held on to the ball to dismiss Owen for 10 off seven deliveries. Prabhsimran Singh then told Sindhu that he had called for the catch, while Sindhu smiled and went to collect his cap before returning to his position.
Yash Thakur gets the big fish! 🎣 Mitchell Owen departs as India A get their first wicket.🔥 #INDAvAUSA 👉 Streaming Live Now https://t.co/zk2ABY21JG https://t.co/ptGL7Ho9M1
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) October 6, 2026
Yash Thakur Bounces Out Australian Openers
Yash Thakur struck again soon after the collision, dismissing Sam Konstas in the fourth over. The pacer bowled another short delivery, and Konstas mistimed his pull towards mid-wicket, where Rajat Patidar completed a simple catch.
Arshad Khan then removed Josh Philippe in the fifth over to leave Australia A three wickets down inside the powerplay. Philippe edged a fuller delivery outside off, but Devdutt Padikkal produced an excellent diving catch at first slip. The third umpire checked the catch before confirming the dismissal.
Yash Thakur had removed both Australian openers, while Arshad Khan accounted for Philippe as India A produced an impressive start with the new ball. Australia A were reduced to 59/3 after 10 overs.
Ruturaj Gaikwad Explains Bowling Decision
Ruturaj Gaikwad said that India A also wanted to bat first after losing the toss. He felt the Puducherry pitch looked dry and expected it to slow down during the day, giving his spinners an opportunity to make an impact.
"We were looking to bat first as well. The wicket looks a bit on the drier side and no dew later on. I think it will still play a bit slower in the day. So, hopefully our spinners can make use of it," Gaikwad said.
The India A captain also praised the quality of the squad, which features several players with IPL experience. "Yes, it's one of the strongest India A sides in the recent years. We have a lot of experience in the side. We have a lot of players who have played IPL successfully and performed well. So, really exciting time in the series," he added.
The one-day series was initially expected to mark Hardik Pandya's return to competitive cricket, but a fresh shin injury ruled him out, with Suryansh Shedge replacing him in the India A squad.
