IND v AUS 2020: Alex Carey to captain the 12-man Australia A squad for Day-Night practice match against Team India
Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Carey will be leading the Australia A side against Team India in the second practice match, which is set to begin on December 11 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
This game will be a Day-Night encounter and only four players from the Australian Test squad have been named in this 12-man Australia A side.
Still, it will be an important dress rehearsal for Team India ahead of the all-important first Test at Adelaide, which is set to be played with the pink-ball too.
Pink-ball practice game crucial for Team India
Given Team India's inexperience playing with the pink ball, it is likely that the Men in Blue will field an XI close to their full strength in this game.
The likes of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane had a decent outing for Team India in the first practice game against Australia A at the Drummoyne Oval in Sydney.
Pujara scored a well-made half-century while Rahane scored a classy hundred in the first innings. This sets up both the senior players nicely ahead of the Test series. They will be looking to get more runs under their belt in the second practice game.
Wicketkeeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha scored a fighting half-century in the second innings which saved the India A side from a possible defeat. Runs coming from his bat are also good signs for the Men in Blue.
As far as the Australia A side is concerned, Joe Burns will be itching to get runs in the second practice game after a poor outing in the first.
With in-from opener Will Pucovski not a part of the Australia A squad due to concussion, Burns will be looking to push his claim for a spot in Australia's playing XI for the first Test against Team India.
The fast bowlers like Mark Steketee, who picked up a five-wicket haul in the first practice game and Sean Abbott, who is a part of the Australian Test squad, will also be keen on making an impact in the second practice game.
The all-important Border-Gavaskar Trophy will begin on December 17 with the pink-ball Test at Adelaide. Both Team India and Australia will be keen on getting their key players ready for the ensuing battle.
Australia A squad: Sean Abbott, Joe Burns, Alex Carey (c, wk), Harry Conway, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Moises Henriques, Nic Maddinson, Ben McDermott, Mark Steketee, Will Sutherland, Mitchell Swepson.