India A vs Australia A Unofficial Test series – Key India A players who can make a difference in the Unofficial Test series. Shreyas Iyer to captain India A.
Before the start of the home Test season, India A are scheduled to feature in a two-match red-ball series against Australia in Lucknow. Those fixtures will provide a great opportunity for a few players to increase their chances of selection. However, the opening clash in Lucknow begins less than 24 hours after the scheduled end of the ongoing Duleep Trophy 2025 final on September 16.
Shreyas Iyer will lead the 15-member squad, as Nitish Reddy, who has recovered from a knee injury, returns to the team. Prasidh Krishna, Sai Sudharsan, and Abhimanyu Easwaran, who were part of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025, have also been named. The selectors have rewarded Ayush Badoni with a call-up after his double century in the ongoing Duleep Trophy 2025.
India A squad for home Australia A unofficial Test series
Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhimanyu Easwaran, N Jagadeesan (wk), Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel (vice-captain and wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Harsh Dubey, Ayush Badoni, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Tanush Kotian, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Khaleel Ahmed, Manav Suthar, Yash Thakur. (KL Rahul and Mohammed Siraj will join for the second game.)
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Let’s take a look at a few players to watch out for in the Unofficial Test series against Australia A.
Shreyas Iyer
For Iyer, it will be an acid test to make his Test return to the national side. His last five-day clash for the Blue Brigade came against England more than 18 months ago. His record of 811 runs in 24 innings at an average of 36.86 didn’t send promising signs to the selection committee. Moreover, he failed with 25 and 12 for the West Zone in the last Duleep Trophy clash.
The Mumbai batter, meanwhile, went through a successful Ranji Trophy 2024/25 season. He smashed 480 runs in seven innings at an average of nearly 70 and a strike rate of over 90. Now, he hopes to continue the same process in the Australia A series.
Prasidh Krishna
Slowly but steadily, Prasidh Krishna has started to impress the selectors. His participation in three of the five Tests against England was strong proof of that. The lanky right-arm pacer picked up 14 wickets in six innings, but his issue was consistency. There were several freebies to which the opponents freed their arms to gather boundaries.
This Australia A series will bring a new challenge for Krishna. The Karnataka pacer will mostly look to bowl with the new ball and later come back with the old one for reverse swing. Currently pocketing 22 wickets in six Tests, he could well be India’s solution for future SENA Tests.
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Nitish Kumar Reddy
Nitish Reddy is on his way to what India anticipated Hardik Pandya to be in the Test format. Once the Andhra Pradesh-born starts to bowl consistently, it will be a huge advantage for the Blue Brigade. In 13 Tests so far, the right-handed batter has clubbed 343 runs at an average of under 29.
However, in 12 red-ball innings, he has bowled only 72 overs, which is six overs per game. That’s way below what was expected. He isn’t planned to be a regular member for home Tests. However, once they travel abroad, Reddy’s contribution becomes vital. Moreover, this Australia series will offer him a good opportunity to make a smooth return from injury.
Harsh Dubey
Ravichandran Ashwin retired from international cricket last year, and Ravindra Jadeja, at 36, is coming to the fag end of his career. That’s the time for the young India spinners to showcase their strong performance for the national selection. Harsh Dubey, the 23-year-old left-arm spinner, has done that really well.
The Vidarbha spinner has bagged 108 first-class wickets in 37 innings at an average of under 22. Out of these, 69 scalps came in the last Ranji season in just 19 innings at 16.98. His career bowling strike rate of 44 is also decent, with eight five-wicket hauls. During the last two rounds of the Duleep Trophy 2025, he picked up 10 wickets in four innings.
Even with the bat, he smashed 75 runs against the West Zone. His FC batting average of 25.62 in 34 first-class innings can work in his favor, and this Australia A series will be the perfect stage to continue the dominance.
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Tanush Kotian
During the previous 2024/25 Ranji Trophy, Tanush Kotian displayed his strong all-round show. With the ball, he picked up 23 wickets in 11 innings at an average of around 22. Meanwhile, he smacked 314 runs in 10 innings, thanks to a couple of half-centuries.
The tall spinner is capable of extracting the bounce off the surface. If he earns consistent success against Australia, then his national selection isn’t far away. In the last India A clash against England Lions in Northampton, he got an unbeaten 90 runs. Even in West Zone’s first innings in the semifinal round of Duleep Trophy 2025, Kotian’s 76 was the second-highest individual score.
Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal
Both Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal have been in the scheme of things for India. The former played against England away, while the latter featured during the home series against England. The number three position is still open, and the fight will be between these two southpaws.
Sudharsan got 140 runs in six innings against England with one half-century in Manchester. However, on two occasions, he crossed the 30-run mark but couldn’t convert it to a big score. That’s exactly what he will aim for against Australia.
On the other hand, Padikkal, who got 90 runs in two Tests, has been in good touch. For the South Zone, the left-handed batter celebrated 57 and 16* against the North Zone during the Duleep Trophy 2025. His FC record of 2888 runs at an average of 41.85 with six centuries is decent. However, it’s high time for him to progress into the second stage and be a regular red-ball member for the Blue Brigade.
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