CAMERON Bancroft’s patient 58* helped Australia A seal their nervy chase of 159 to beat India A by three wickets on the final day of the first unofficial Test in Brisbane.Wet ground conditions delayed the start of the fourth day for almost three hours, but Australia A knocked off the 100 runs required in 35.3 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
(Final scores:Australia A 228 (Handscomb 87, Burns 78, Aaron 3-41) and 7 for 161 (Bancroft 58*, Thakur 3-42) beat India A 230 (Pandey 77, Fazal 48, Swepson 4-78) and 156 (Yadav 46, Sayers 3-21) by three wickets)
Australia’s chase looked rather comfortable when overnight batsmen Bancroft and Beau Webster added 57 for the fifth wicket. Varun Aaron provided the breakthrough when he had Webster trapped lbw for 30.
However, useful contributions from Sam Whiteman (14) and Chadd Sayers (15) helped Australia inch closer. Offspinner Jayant Yadav and Shardul Thakur, who finished with returns of 3 for 42, picked up the other wickets to fall on the final day.
Bancroft struck six fours in his 151-ball knock and ensured he remained unbeaten to help Australia A past the target.
“We made that chase look pretty difficult,” Bancroft said after play. “The pink ball was tough work during the game, there weren’t as many runs comared to wickets.
“You always want the batsmen to do the job, that’s something we could have done better in that chase. But good teams find a way, and we were able to do that today. At the start of the day Michael Hussey was here, he said ‘pressure in these circumstances is a privilege.’ As a batsman, that’s your goal, that’s what you strive to do.”
The second unofficial Test begins on September 15 in Brisbane.

(ESPN cricinfo)