India's captain Virat Kohli bowls to Australia's Harry Nielsen on the fourth day of the tour match against Cricket Australia XI at the SCG in Sydney on December 1, 2018. AFP / PETER PARKS
SYDNEY: The only tour match India had before the start of a four-test series against Australia ended in a draw Saturday. But the visitors lost in several areas.
Cricket Australia XI scored 544 runs in its innings after a washout due to rain on the first day Wednesday, after battering the Indian spin bowlers. India had scored 358 runs, giving the Australians a big lead.
And India lost its star teenage batsman, Prithvi Shaw, on Friday after he rolled his left ankle while fielding. He will not play in the first test beginning next Thursday in Adelaide.
Murali Vijay all but clinched a spot in India's test top order with a century on Saturday. Vijay brought up his century in spectacular fashion, hitting part-timer Jake Carder for five boundaries, including two sixes to go from 74 to 100 in six balls.
India finished its second innings at 211-2, a lead of 25, before play ended.
Earlier, Umesh Yadav (1-113), Ishant Sharma (1-73) and Ravichandran Ashwin (2-122) were expensive in India's bowling effort against a second-string Australian side.
