Northampton, June 8: Left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed produced a penetrating spell of seam bowling, returning with figures of 4/70 as England Lions were bowled out for 327, handing India A a 21-run first-innings lead at tea on day three of the second unofficial Test, here on Sunday.
Resuming at 192/3, the hosts suffered a dramatic collapse in the morning session, losing four wickets for just 10 runs.
Khaleel set the tone, removing skipper James Rew (10) and George Hill (0) off successive deliveries to trigger the slide.
He followed it up with the wicket of Chris Woakes (5), caught behind, reducing the Lions to 266 for 8 by lunch.
After the interval, Nitish Kumar Reddy broke Farhan Ahmed’s dogged resistance — his 87-ball 24 frustrating the visitors — to make it 279 for 9.
But from there India A struggled to break through with the final wicket stand between Josh Tongue and No 11 Eddie Jack, frustrating the visitors.
Tongue remained unbeaten on a resolute 36 (61 balls), while 19-year-old Jack — playing only his second first-class game — displayed remarkable composure under pressure.
The left-hander struck three boundaries and partnered for a gritty 48-run last-wicket stand that took England Lions past the 300-run mark, frustrating the Abhimanyu Easwaran-led side.
India A rotated their bowlers and even took the second new ball in the 81st over in pursuit of the final scalp.
Khaleel was brought back in an attempt to bag a five-for, but it was Anshul Kamboj (2/56) who eventually ended the resistance at the stroke of tea.
A full delivery angled in from around the wicket beat Jack’s defence and clipped the top of off-stump.
Tushar Deshpande (2/62) was also impressive, dismissing the obdurate Max Holden (7).
Despite gaining a slender but vital 21-run first-innings lead, India A will know they missed a golden opportunity to tighten their grip on the match after letting England Lions’ tail wag for far too long. The morning session had promised a swift end to the innings, especially after Khaleel Ahmed’s fiery burst ripped through the middle order, leaving the hosts reeling. His clinical removal of James Rew and George Hill in back-to-back deliveries ignited hope for a quick wrap-up. Yet, what followed was a frustrating phase for Abhimanyu Easwaran’s men. The dogged resistance from Farhan Ahmed and the defiance of Josh Tongue and Eddie Jack, especially the latter’s maturity well beyond his years, turned the tide and reminded the visitors that no runs come easy in red-ball cricket. While the final breakthrough by Anshul Kamboj at the stroke of tea brought relief, India A’s inability to dislodge the lower order earlier has now left the game finely balanced.
Brief Scores:India A: 348 vs England Lions 327 in 89 overs (Emilio Gay 71, Tom Haines 54, Jordan Cox 45, Josh Tongue 36 not out; Khaleel Ahmed 4/70, Anshul Kamboj 2/56, Tushar Deshpande 2/62). (PTI)
