Fantasy Cricket Tips and Guide for Australia A vs India A (2nd Unofficial Test)
India A’s tour of Australia continues as they prepare for the second match of their two-match first-class series. After a competitive first game in Mackay, where Australia A secured a 7-wicket victory to take a 1-0 lead the action now shifts to Melbourne for the highly anticipated Australia A vs India A showdown.
India A put up a good fight in the first game highlighted by a fantastic century from Sai Sudharsan, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Australian side. With the series on the line the visitors will be keen to level the score especially with the boost of key players KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel joining the squad.
Match Details
- Fixture: Australia A vs India A, 2nd Unofficial Test, India A Tour of Australia 2024
- Date: November 7 (Thursday) – November 10 (Sunday)
- Time: 05:30 AM IST / 11:30 PM GMT (Nov 6) / 10:30 AM LOCAL
- Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Head-to-Head:
Australia A leads the series by 1-0 after their victory in the first match.
Weather Report:
Melbourne is expected to see cloudy skies over the next four days but no rain is in the forecast which is a relief for the players and fans. The temperature will stay between 20 and 22 °C with humidity around 40-50%. Winds are predicted to reach speeds of 14-16 km/h.
Pitch Report:
The MCG surface tends to favor fast bowlers with extra bounce and pace on offer. This was evident in the recent ODI between Australia and Pakistan at the same venue. Both teams are likely to rely on pace-heavy bowling lineups to exploit the conditions.
Predicted Playing XIs:
Australia A:
Sam Konstas, Marcus Harris, Nathan McSweeney (c), Cameron Bancroft, Beau Webster, Michael Neser, Josh Philippe (wk), Fergus O Neill, Todd Murphy, Brendan Doggett, Scott Boland
India A:
Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, KL Rahul, Dhurv Jurel (wk), Ishan Kishan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Manav Suthar, Navdeep Saini, Prasidh Krishna, Mukesh Kumar
Fantasy Cricket Picks:
- Wicketkeeper: Josh Philippe
- Batters: Marcus Harris, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal
- All-rounders: Nitish Kumar Reddy, Nathan McSweeney, Beau Webster, Manav Suthar
- Bowlers: Fergus O Neill, Mukesh Kumar
Captain First-Choice: Nathan McSweeney
Captain Second-Choice: Josh Philippe
Vice-Captain First-Choice: Beau Webster
Vice-Captain Second-Choice: Devdutt Padikkal
Match Prediction:
While the inclusion of KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel will strengthen India A, their other batters need to step up. Australia A’s bowling attack combined with their home advantage, makes them the favorites to win the second match and clinch the series.
