India A vs Australia A: Match Preview – 5th October 2025, 09:00 GMT

Venue: Ekana Stadium, Lucknow

As the Australia A Tour of India 2025 reaches its climax, the focus shifts to the final encounter between India A and Australia A at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on 5th October 2025. This match promises to be a thrilling conclusion to a two-Test and three-ODI series, with both teams eager to finish on a high note.

Series Context

The series, which began on 16th September, has provided a platform for emerging talents from both nations to showcase their skills. The two Tests were played at Green Park, Kanpur, and the ODIs were contested at the Ekana Stadium, Lucknow. While the Tests offered a traditional, slow-paced format, the ODIs have been more dynamic, allowing the teams to display aggressive batting and tight bowling.

India A has been particularly strong with the bat, thanks to a blend of experienced campaigners and young talents eager to make an impact. On the other hand, Australia A has shown great resilience and adaptability, with their bowlers performing consistently across formats.

Pitch & Conditions

The Ekana Stadium in Lucknow is known for its pitch-friendly batting conditions, especially in the ODIs. The surface has a good carry and offers minimal assistance to spinners, making it ideal for explosive batting. With the weather expected to be warm and dry, batters are likely to have the upper hand, and teams will look to post big totals.

Key Players to Watch

India A:

• Shubman Gill (India A Captain): A technically sound opener, Gill has been in scintillating form this series. His ability to rotate the strike and accelerate the innings is crucial for India A.
• Ruturaj Gaikwad: Known for his elegant strokeplay, Gaikwad has been a reliable middle-order performer and could be the difference-maker in this match.
• Arshdeep Singh: The left-arm pacer has been a revelation in the series, offering consistent line and length and the ability to take wickets at crucial junctures.

Australia A:

• Travis Head (Australia A Captain): A versatile all-rounder, Head brings experience and composure to the Australian side. His ability to anchor the innings and contribute with the ball makes him a key figure.
• Matthew Kuhnemann: A left-arm spinner, Kuhnemann has been instrumental in breaking partnerships and taking crucial wickets in the middle overs.
• Mitchell Starc (if included): Although primarily part of the national side, if Starc is in the Australia A squad, his pace and swing could trouble even the best batters.

Match Prediction

The final match of the series is expected to be a close contest, with both teams having something to prove. India A will look to capitalize on the batting-friendly conditions and start the innings strongly. Australia A, on the other hand, will aim to exploit any early wickets and build a solid foundation before pushing for a win.

The outcome will largely depend on how the key players perform under pressure and how the teams adapt to the conditions. With the series having been evenly contested so far, the final match promises to be an exciting conclusion to what has been a thrilling tour.

Fixtures, live scores, and stats for the Australia A Tour of India 2025 can be found here and here.

Date: 5th October 2025
Time: 09:00 GMT
Venue: Ekana Stadium, Lucknow
Format: ODI (3 ODIs in the series)

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