India A batters had a day out as the second unofficial Test against the England Lions also ended in a stalemate. Resuming Day 4 on 164/3, the visitors stuttered before Anshul Kamboj and Tanush Kotian smashed half-centuries to send the Lions a daunting 439 at Tea. The hosts batted out for a bit, before deciding to shake hands and end the game.
India A 1st innings: Kl Rahul smashes 100, collapse sees visitors all out for 348
India’s start to the match was not the brightest with Chris Woakes sending both Yashasvi Jaiswal and Abhimanyu Easwaran packing. Kl Rahul stitched vital partnerships with both Karun Nair and Dhruv Jurel to steer the visitors clear of danger. While Karun was dismissed for 40, Jurel smashed a counter-attacking 50. Rahul meanwhile reached his century with India looking settled at 247/3.
However, the England Lions forced a collapse. Jurel and Rahul soon perished, while none of the other batters could convert their starts. Nitish Reddy smashed 34, but India lost 7 for 100 runs, collapsing to 348 all out. Chris Woakes was the pick of the bowlers as he finished with figures 3/60.
England Lions 1st innings: Khaleel Ahmed takes 4 as India A take slender lead
England Lions also had a steady start with Tom Haines and Emilio Gay smashing half-centuries at the end of Day 2. However, Khaleel Ahmed wrestled the advantage back for India A on Day 3. The left-armer dismissed captain James Rew and the well set Jordan Cox to force a slide.
The Lions were eventually bowled out for 327, conceding a 21-run lead. From 192/2, they slipped to 229/7, losing 5 wickets for 37 runs. Anshul Kamboj was also impressive, finishing with figures of 2/56 in 18 overs. A worrying sign for India was the performance of their pace bowling all-rounders, with Shardul Thakur going wicketless. Nitish Reddy added the wicket of tailender Farhan Ahmed.
India A 2nd innings: Rahul shines again, Kamboj- Kotian pile misery
Rahul made the most of the practice game with yet another half-century. Jaiswal, Nair and Jurel all fell cheaply, but Abhimanyu Easwaran smashed 80 off 92 balls. However, Tanush Kotian and Anshul Kamboj swelled India’s lead with a stunning 8th wicket partnership. Kamboj smashed his maiden first-class half-century, while Kotian was unbeaten on 90 when India declared at 417/7 Tea on the Final day.
England Lions 2nd innings: Match ends in draw, Kamboj rocks Lions
The result was a foregone conclusion even before the Lions walked into bat. However, Anshul Kamboj continued to make a mark with a fine spell of new ball bowling. Tushar Deshpande got Tom Haines with Nitish Reddy taking a blinder at slip. Anhsul Kamboj had Jordan Cox cleaned up while Gay edged one to Jurel behind the stumps.
With the light fading out, both teams shook hands and the match ended in a draw. The India A side will now play a intra-squad game against the Indian team, before the India vs England series.
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