Ahmedabad, Jan 18: England Lions continued to dominate India A despite a rollicking unbeaten hundred from Rajat Patidar on the second day of their first unofficial Test here on Thursday.
Patidar made 140 off 132 balls with 18 fours and five sixes but India A could only make 215 for eight at close, replying to England’s mammoth 553 for eight declared in first innings.
India A are still trailing by 338 runs.
Pacer Matthew Fisher led England’s bowling with a four-wicket burst (4/57) while he received strong support from fellow pacer Matthew Potts (2/26) and left-arm spinner Callum Parkinson (2/43).
India A were, in fact, in all kind of trouble early on at 24 for four and later slipped to 95 for seven.
However, Patidar found some late support from Tushar Deshpande, who scored India’s second highest individual score of 23, and Navdeep Saini as India A struggled past the 200-run mark.
Earlier, England, starting from their overnight 382 for 3, motored on riding on a fine 125 off 182 balls by captain Josh Bohannon, who resumed the day from 93.
Bohannon got excellent support from Dan Mousley (68 off 115 balls) and Potts (44 not out) and Jack Carson (53).
For India, left-arm spinner Manav Suthar took four wickets (4/137).
The England Lions are the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) development team, essentially serving as a second-tier national team below the senior England squad. Their primary purpose is to provide promising young cricketers with experience playing international-level competition, preparing them for potential graduation to the full England team. The Lions compete in various formats, including first-class, List A, and Twenty20 matches, primarily against other A teams or emerging nations. They also occasionally play against the senior England team in warm-up matches or intra-squad games.
Established in 1982 as England A, the team was renamed the England Lions in 2020.
Brief scores: England Lions: 553 for 8 declared in 118 overs (Keaton Jennings 154, Josh Bohanan 125, Alex Lees 73, Dan Mousley 68, Jack Carson 53; Manav Suthar 4/137) vs India A: 215 for 8 in 40 overs (Rajat Patidar 140; Matt Fisher 4/57). (PTI)
