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Pretoria: It was their match for the taking but in the end the nerves got the better of Cheteshwar Pujara's men as India 'A' went down to Australia A by seven runs in the second encounter of the Tri-Series tournament between 'A' teams on Thursday.
The young Indian team had the Aaron Finch-led side on the ropes when they were eight down for 152.
Asked to bat, Australian innings was resurrected by all-rounder Glen Maxwell who scored a swashbuckling 145 off 99 balls batting at No 7. Maxwell added 146 runs for the ninth wicket with Josh Hazlewood that took the Aussies to 298 for 8 at the LC de Villiers Oval.
The Indians looked confident enough to hunt down the target. Contributions came thick and fast from opener Rohit Sharma (66), Suresh Raina (83) and Ambati Rayudu (70).
But Raina and Rayudu, who would have loved to see the side through, were dismissed following an 85-run stand. All-rounder Stuart Binny fell for a duck and the tail failed to wag.
Australia got four points from the match and took their tally to eight points from two matches. Earlier, Maxwell's late blitzkrieg that contained 18 fours and six sixes. His hundred came off 60 deliveries.
Brief scores
Australia A 298 for 8 (Maxwell 145*, Maddinson 52)
India A 291 for 8 (Raina 83, Rayudu 70, Rohit 66, Coulter-Nile 3-37)
Result Australia 'A' won by seven runs
