Northampton, June 6: Opener KL Rahul lead the charge with a fluent 93 not out while Dhruv Jurel hit an unbeaten 37 not out as India A reached 213 for three at tea on the opening day of their second unofficial Tests against England Lions, here on Friday.
Yashasvi Jaiswal (17) and and Abhimanyu Easwaran (11) fell in the first session.
In a prolonged second session to make up for the lost time and overs in the opening one, Indian batters made merry on a sporting track with none of the Lions bowlers barring Chris Woakes (3/30) being able to make any inroads.
India lost only one wicket in the second session in the form of Karun Nair (40), who was trapped leg-before by Woakes.Rahul made a watchful 93 off 143 deliveries as he hit 12 fours and a six, putting on a sturdy 89-run stand for the third wicket with Nair after India were rocked early..But after Nair’s dismissal and particularly after crossing his fifty, Rahul took the aggressive route to move close to a triple-figure mark while putting on an unbeaten 87 runs for the fourth wicket.England all-rounder Woakes, playing in this contest to get some game-time and prove his fitness after he was named the Test side for the opening match of the five-Test series against India, seemed to be hitting his strides.
Woakes continued to move the ball around dangerously and challenged the defences well to snaffle each of the three wickets fallen since the play began here at the County ground.
Nair, who hit four boundaries to make 40 off 71 balls, looked set for a big total but fell during a passage of play in which Woakes and George Hill troubled the No 4 batter.
Woakes beat the bat a few times before finding an edge off Nair’s bat which flew past gully for four outside off in the 34th over. On the next delivery, he angled one into the batter who failed to get his bat down on time..
Another England hopeful Josh Tongue, however, struggled for rhythm as he gave away 61 runs from 14 overs.
With a strong platform laid by KL Rahul’s assured knock and Dhruv Jurel’s steady presence at the crease, India A will return after tea brimming with confidence and intent. The duo’s unbeaten 87-run partnership for the fourth wicket not only revived the innings after early setbacks but also blunted the impact of an otherwise disciplined spell from Chris Woakes. Rahul’s innings, laced with crisp drives and controlled aggression, underlined his experience and readiness ahead of the senior team’s marquee tour of England, while Jurel’s composure at the other end provided solidity.
Brief scores: India A 213/3 in 52 overs (KL Rahul 93*, Karun Nair 40, Dhruv Jurel 37*; Chris Woakes 3/30) vs England Lions. (PTI)
