Rahul anchors India A to 5-wicket win over Australia A in Lucknow

India A completed a dramatic fourth-day chase to beat Australia A by five wickets in the second unofficial Test at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Friday, clinching the two-match series after the opener ended in a draw. KL Rahul anchored the run chase with a marathon unbeaten 176 off 210 balls, while B Sai Sudharsan added a battling 100 as the hosts overhauled a target of 412.

India A resumed the final day in a promising position at 169 for 2, needing 243 more, after Australia A had set a challenging target following scoring of 420 in the first innings and being dismissed for 185 in their second. Rahul, who had retired hurt on 74 late on day three as a precaution, returned to the crease and converted that start into a match-defining century and then a long, unbeaten innings that saw India home. Nitish Kumar Reddy contributed late with a quick 16 not out to see India past the line.

The match featured swings in momentum. Australia A had begun strongly in the first innings with sizeable contributions from Jack Edwards and Nathan McSweeney, who both registered half-centuries, and Todd Murphy produced a valuable lower-order 76. India A’s...