India A look to clinch series in final unofficial ODI

Bengaluru: After a shock defeat against Bangladesh A in the second one-dayer, India A will look to get their act together and clinch the unofficial three-match ODI series as they go into the third and final match here tomorrow with both teams locked 1-1.

The hosts outplayed the visitors in all departments in the first one-dayer with the Unmukt Chand-led team beating Bangladesh by 96 runs, riding on a brilliant all-round performance by Gurkeerat Singh who scored 65 runs and bagged five wickets with his off-spin.

However, Bangladesh leveled the series by thrashing India by 65 runs in the second ODI with the help of an all-round performance by Nasir Hossain who cracked an unbeaten ton and claimed a five-wicket haul yesterday.

Having failed miserably for the second time in the series, India's top order would like to make amends and come out with all cylinders blazing in the decider at Chinnaswamy stadium tomorrow.

Also the middle and lower middle-order, who helped India A amass 322 after they were struggling at 125 for five, would hope to forget the last game where they miserably surrendered to Nasir's off-spin and Rubel Hossain's medium pace, who ended with figures of 4 for 33.

Suresh Raina, who has managed just 33 runs in last two games, would look to get some batting practice before the South Africa series starting next month.

Even Manish Pandey and Kedar Jadhav will look to put up their case with a better show, even as they are included in the 30-member probables list announced by BCCI for the upcoming South Africa series.

Chand, who top-scored with 56 in the second ODI, would like to continue the show and take some sheen off the new ball and rattle the visitors by putting up a good opening stand with Mayank Agarwal.

Coach Rahul Dravid would also want to see Sanju Samson, Gurkeerat Singh and Rishi Dhawan to click in the middle and lower-order, as they did in the opening game. Samson had top-scored with 73.

On the bowling front, Dravid would expect in-form medium-pacer Rishi Dhawan, Gurkeerat and leggie Karn Sharma to get wickets at regular intervals. In two matches, Gurkeerat and Dhawan have bagged five wickets, and Sharma claimed two scalps.

Local lad Sreenath Aravind's knowledge of the Chinnaswamy track may help the hosts. He did exceedingly well in the first game by claiming three wickets.

With most of the Bangladesh A squad comprising international stars, they would look to clinch the series, the way they did back home when they posted a series win against India seniors.

While captain Mominul Haque would expect bulk of runs from the blades of Nasir Hussain, Litton Das and Hossain, he would hope Nasir and Rubel to repeat yesterday's performance.

Squads

India A: Unmukt Chand (captain), Mayank Agarwal, Manish Pandey, Suresh Raina, Kedar Jadhav, Sanju Samson, Karun Nair, Kuldeep Yadav, Jayant Yadav, Karn Sharma, Rishi Dhawan, S Aravind, Dhawal Kulkarni, Rush Kalaria, Gurkeerat Singh Mann.

Bangladesh A: Mominul Hoque (captain), Nasir Hossain (vice-captain), Anamul Hoque Bijoy, Rony Talukdar, Liton Kumar Das, Shabbir Rahaman, Soumya Sarker, Saqlain Sajib, Arafat Sunny, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Al-Amin Hossain, Shuvagata Hom Chowdhury, Jubair Hossain.