Shreyas Iyer cracks double century against Australia

Young batsman Shreyas Iyer pounded the Australian bowlers with his career-best unbeaten 202 before the three-day warm-up game between India ‘A’ and the visitors ended in a draw here on Sunday.Iyer, who resumed at overnight 85, completed his century in 10 minutes and put the Aussie attack, especially spinners Nathan Lyon and Stephen O’Keefe, to the sword.

Along with K Gowtham, he shared a 138-run stand for the seventh wicket. The 22-year-old Mumbai batsman, who has now made nine first class hundreds, punished the Australian bowlers with 27 fours and seven sixes, all off Lyon and O’Keefe, to remain unconquered after batting for 306 minutes.

He had also scored exactly 100 in a two-day warm-up game against Bangladesh in Hyderabad.

Gowtham made a whirlwind 74 in 68 balls, smashing 10 fours and four sixes, to help the home team reply strongly to the visitors’ first innings total of 469 for seven declared. India ‘A’ were all out for 403, conceding a lead of 66 runs to Australia, who scored 110 for four wickets in their second innings before the game ended with mutual consent.O’Keefe (19 in 71 balls) and Matthew Wade (6) were the not out batsmen at the end.

The visitors would be feeling disappointed with the twin failure of openers David Warner, who made 25 and 35, and Matt Renshaw (11 and 10) as well as the huge number of runs given away by spinners Lyon (4/162) and O’Keefe (3/101).

The morning’s play belonged to



Iyer and Gowtham –– who smashed Lyon for four huge sixes, to dent his confidence a bit ahead of the Test series opener.Iyer caught the eye with his assured stroke-play, both off spin as well as against pace.The right-hander also bettered his 200 made in October 2015 in the Ranji Trophy game against Punjab at the Wankhede Stadium. 

Iyer and Gowtham stole the limelight with some brilliant batting as the hosts reached 347 for six at lunch by adding 171 runs in just 32 overs.Iyer’s hundred came up in 157 minutes and 103 balls and contained five sixes and 11 fours.

The home team lost two wickets before Gowtham, who was unable to bowl in the Australia innings due to a hamstring injury, hammered off spinner Lyon for four sixes on way to his half-century off just 43 balls. 

Earlier, while Iyer batted without any difficulties, the other overnight batsman Rishabh Pant –– with whom he added 55 runs for the fifth wicket – gave a tame return catch when lured out by O’Keefe in his first over of the day.

Next batsman, wicket keeper Ishan Kishan, did not last long as he edged Mitchell Marsh’s fifth ball of the morning to Wade with the score on 234.Gowtham limped his way to the crease at the fall of Kishan but later showed no signs of the injury as he blasted the Australian bowlers with clean shots. Lyon, who took two wickets on Saturday, was deprived of his third when Maxwell dropped Gowtham at deep mid-wicket.