India A keep failing the same test of pace and bounce

Australia A are 2-0 up against India A, and the report names Spencer Johnson alongside Sam Konstas and Josh Philippe as the men who secured it. India A, chasing 276, were undone by pace and bounce for a second time. So far this series has been about Indian batters failing the same examination twice.

Johnson's own part stands out, because he came into the series with a modest senior record. Over the last two years in men's ODIs he has taken five wickets at an average of 44, against 30.88 for all bowlers in that time. His economy rate of 5.37 sits close to the format's 5.23. Those are the figures of a tidy left-arm quick who had not yet taken wickets in clumps against senior sides, so being named among the match-winners here is a useful step for him.

Johnson's record against senior sides

His most recent senior outings, 1 for 44 and 2 for 50 against Zimbabwe in September, show the same pattern of steady work and the odd breakthrough. His one senior match against India, in September 2023, brought 0 for 61 from eight overs.

One collapse against the short ball can be a bad afternoon. A second, by the same means in a chase of 276, starts to look like a habit, and it points to a problem in India A's batting against the rising ball.

India A's problem to fix

Paradoxically, a 2-0 lead built on Australian pace says more about the side that lost than the one that won. The clearest measure of how much better Australia A's quicks have been is that twice India A's batters were asked the same question by the bouncing ball, and twice they had no answer.

India A should treat this as a batting problem first. Until their batters learn to ride the extra bounce through the opening spells, Australia A's quicks will keep deciding these matches. The next match will show whether the lesson has gone in: survive the first spells, and a target like 276 stops looking like a mountain.