Luke Ronchi blasted an incendiary unbeaten 108 as Australia A ambled to a 17-run win over their Indian compatriots via the VJD [V Jayadevan] method in the rain-marred A Team Triangular Series in Hyderabad on Tuesday.
India A captain S Badrinath's decision to bat first was hardly vindicated as the hosts were shot out for 207 in 49.4 overs.
Ashley Noffke (4-39) and Shaun Tait (3-27) shared seven wickets among them, while for the hosts, only Yusuf Pathan (54), Praveen Kumar (31) and Abhishek Nayar (30) kept their reputation intact.
Chasing 208, Australia was off to a flying start with Ronchi and Phillip Hughes (47) tearing the Indian attack apart.
Though Yousuf Pathan sent back Hughes three runs shy of a well-deserved half-century in the 23rd over, David Hussey (8 not out) joined Ronchi in the middle as the visitors raced to 168 for 1 in 278 overs when heavens opened up, dropping early curtains on the proceedings.
The visitors were declared winners by 17 runs by the VJD method, devised by Kerala engineer V Jayadevan, which is being used for the domestic tournament.
It was a pathetic batting show by the star-studded Indian line-up, which looked in all sorts of trouble against Tait and Noffke.
Tait delivered a double blow in his second over, dismissing Robin Uthappa (2) and Suresh Raina (0) in the span of four deliveries to trigger a batting collapse.
Swapnil Asnodkar (23) could not convert the start while Badrinath (1), Rohit Sharma (15) and Dinesh Karthik (12) had their stay cut short by the pace duo of Noffke and Tait.
In fact, it was the 73-run stand between Yousuf Pathan and Abhishek Nayar that gave some respectability to the Indian total.
Once Noffke removed Nayar, another mini-collapse followed and but for Praveen's 27-ball 31 and Dhaval Kulkarni's gritty unbeaten 15 down the order, the hosts would not have crossed the 200-mark.
In reply, Australia began in whirlwind fashion with Ronchi, who plays for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, in tremendous hurry to seal the match.
In the end, his belligerence made all the difference as Austraila A were declared winners by 17 runs.
Ronchi's unbeaten 108 came off 79 balls and included 13 hits to the fence, besides three towering sixes.
India A:
Robin Uthappa lbw Tait 2
Swapnil Asnodkar run out 23
Suresh Raina b Tait 0
S Badrinath c Ronchi b Tait 1
Rohit Sharma b Noffke 15
Dinesh Karthik b Noffke 12
Yusuf Pathan lbw White 54
Abhishek Nayar c Ronchi b Noffke 30
Piyush Chawla b White 12
Praveen Kumar b Noffke 31
Dhaval Kulkarni not out 15
Extras: (B-1, LB-1, W-9, NB-1) 12
Total: (all out in 49.4 overs) 207
Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-5, 3-19, 4-39, 5-53, 6-67, 7-140, 8-159, 9-160.
Bowling: S Tait 9-1-27-3; B Geeves 10-0-41-0; A Noffke 9.4-1-39-4; XJ Doherty 10-0-40-0; CL White 8-0-43-2; DJ Hussey 3-0-15-0.
Australia A: (target: 152 runs from 36 overs under VJD method)
Luke Ronchi not out 108
Phillip Hughes c Kulkarni b Pathan 47
David Hussey not out 8
Extras: (B-1, W-4) 5
Total: (For 1 wicket in 27 overs) 168
Fall of wicket: 1-129
Bowling: Praveen Kumar 5-0-24-0; Dhaval Kulkarni 4-1-21-0; Abhishek Nayar 4-0-30-0; Piyush Chawla 8-0-57-0; Yusuf Pathan 6-1-35-1.
