India A produced early breakthroughs against Australia A in the first unofficial ODI at the Cricket Association Puducherry Siechem Ground, with Devdutt Padikkal grabbing the spotlight with a brilliant catch at wide slip. The hosts put Australia A under pressure after Will Sutherland elected to bat first, with the visitors losing five wickets for 93 runs before their lower order began to rebuild the innings.
Devdutt Padikkal takes superb catch at wide slip
The dismissal came in the fifth over of Australia’s innings when Arshad Khan bowled a full delivery that angled away from Josh Philippe outside off. The Australia A wicketkeeper-batter went for a big drive but could only manage an outside edge. Padikkal, stationed at wide slip, reacted quickly and dived to his right to complete an excellent two-handed catch.
He then rolled over with the ball safely in his hands, prompting the umpires to check whether the catch had been taken cleanly. The replays confirmed that Padikkal had maintained control throughout the process, and Philippe had to walk back after scoring just two runs from six deliveries.
Here’s the video:
A picture-perfect take from Devdutt Padikkal! 📸
Arshad Khan gets Josh Philippe as Team India tighten their grip! 🔥#INDAvAUSA 👉 Streaming Live Now https://t.co/zk2ABY21JG pic.twitter.com/cPe9azH3Pd
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) October 6, 2026
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Australia A recover after early collapse
Philippe’s dismissal was another setback for Australia A, who had started aggressively but struggled once India’s bowlers adjusted to the conditions. Arshad and Yash Thakur tightened their lines after the initial attacking approach from the visitors, while Nishant Sindhu and Anukul Roy added further pressure with spin.
Sam Konstas and Mitchell Owen were among the other early wickets as Australia A slipped to 93/5 by the end of the 19th over. However, the visitors’ lower middle order responded with a patient partnership, rotating the strike and punishing loose deliveries to take the total beyond 150. Australia A eventually reached 173/5, recovering significantly from their precarious position. India A will now look to break the partnership before the visitors can launch another attack during the death overs.
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