Greene unbeaten on 114; Australia A leads India A by 39 runs

Allrounder Cameron Green posted an unbeaten century Monday to give Australia A a 39-run lead over India A and take the attention away from the selection duel between incumbent test opener Joe Burns and up-and-coming Will Pucovski.

India resumed day two of the three-day match on 237-8 and added 10 runs before declaring on 247-9, with Ajinkya Rahane finishing unbeaten on 117.

At stumps, Australia was 286-8 with the 21-year-old Green unbeaten on 114 and Mark Steketee on one. Paceman Umesh Yadav led the bowling attack with three wicket for 44 from 18 overs, while Ravi Ashwin (2-58) and Mohammed Siraj (2-71) took two wicket each.

The match at Sydney’s Drummoyne Oval is one of two warmups for the four-test series and features many of the players expected to take part in the opener at Adelaide on Dec. 17. The second warmup is a day-night match at the Sydney Cricket Ground starting Friday.

With Australian opener David Warner among six Australian players on the injury list, there's a chance Pucovski and Burns may play together in Adelaide rather than compete for one spot.

Their head-to-head showdown never really got started Monday. Pucovski (1) and Burns (4) were each given a chance to press their selection claims but the so-called bat-off backfired, with Yadav dismissing both openers as Australia A slipped to 5 for 2.

Australia A was 60-3 at the first interval and slipped to 98-5 before Greene and test skipper Tim Paine (44) combined for a 104-run sixth-wicket stand.

Green made his international debut in a one-day match against India in Canberra last week, scoring 21 and returning 0-27 from a limited bowling spell.

On Monday, he used his feet well against the Indian spinners and played well through the offside, raising his century with a boundary through the covers off Yadav.

He reached the milestone not long after his attempt at a quick single on 99 resulted in the run-out of Michael Neser (33) at the striker's end, leaving Australia with eight wickets down. Green earlier had reprieves on 24 and 78 when he edged and was dropped behind the wicket. He was also the only Australian to pass 50 on day two.