Welcome to the live coverage of the opening day of the second unofficial Test between India A and England Lions.
Welcome to the live coverage of the opening day of the second unofficial Test between India A and England Lions.
England Lions have won the toss and have chosen to field first. Read our full report on the toss.
India A: Abhimanyu Easwaran (c), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Sarfaraz Khan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shardul Thakur, Harsh Dubey, Anshul Kamboj, Harshit Rana, Mukesh Kumar, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Khaleel Ahmed, Tushar Deshpande, Akash Deep, Manav Suthar, Tanush Kotian, Ruturaj Gaikwad
England Lions: James Rew (c & wk), Tom Haines, Ben McKinney, Emilio Gay, Max Holden, Jordan Cox, Chris Woakes, Josh Tongue, Ajeet Dale, Farhan Ahmed, Rocky Flintoff, Edward Jack, George Hill
The action is underway at Northampton! Stay tuned for play-by-play updates from the IND-A vs LIONS match. Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul batting for the visitors.
Unlike the first Test match, India A openers have not come out flying in the opening overs, instead relying on safe shots to build a partnership. Rahul opened the boundary charts off Josh Tongue, but Chris Woakes has bowled back-to-back maidens to keep the run flow in check.
IND-A: 16/0 (5)
Chris Woakes, who has been excellent so far, gets the wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal to give England Lions an early break! The opener was looking to get settled, but he departs cheaply.
Captain Abhimanyu Easwaran, who comes on in Jaiswal's place, hits a boundary off his first delivery.
Yashasvi Jaiswal 17(26) lbw b Woakes
IND-A: 32/1 (7)
Woakes is on fire at the moment. Captain Easwaran's quick innings comes to an end as he is bowled by Woakes, putting India A two down within the first 11 overs. Karun Nair comes on to bat.
Abhimanyu Easwaran 11(13) b Woakes
IND-A: 40/2 (11)
It's raining at Northampton, and play has been stopped momentarily.
After the brief rain interruption, the match has resumed and Hill bowls a maiden over to restart the game.
IND-A: 40/2 (12)
India A batters are only able to sneak in the occasional singles and doubles, with England Lions bowlers completely dominating the session so far. KL Rahul hits a welcome boundary off George Hill to relieve some pressure on the batters. A partnership needs to be built to salvage the horrible start on Day 1 for India A.
IND-A: 52/2 (16)
After the early setbacks, a partnership is bulding between Rahul and Nair, which stands at 28 off 41 balls at the moment. An eight-run over from Jack gave some momentum to the India A batters, but boundaries are hard to come by at the moment.
It's lunch time.
IND-A: 75/2 (21)
Woakes went up in a loud appeal for LBW, but the umpire was unmoved. It was a good length ball angled into leg and then straightened, catching Rahul on the back pad as he played across the line. Rahul had expected it to swing in, but it held its line and beat the outside edge. Despite Woakes바카라™s strong reaction, the ball looked to be pitching outside leg, and the umpire바카라™s decision to turn it down seems justified.
Chris Woakes breaks the 86-run partnership with a crucial strike, trapping Karun Nair LBW just after being driven for a boundary. It바카라™s his third LBW dismissal of the innings, and notably, all three wickets바카라”Easwaran, Jaiswal, and now Nair바카라”are players named in India바카라™s Test squad. With the new ball doing a bit, Woakes has made a strong case for himself ahead of the first Test. While Easwaran may not feature in the XI, Jaiswal is expected to open, and Nair, coming off a double century in the previous match, had strengthened his case for a middle-order spot. KL Rahul, meanwhile, remains solid on 47, joined now by Dhruv Jurel, who wasted no time getting off the mark.
Fifty up for KL Rahul바카라”a resolute and measured innings that speaks volumes of his temperament. Facing a probing spell over the wicket, he calmly dealt with a back-of-a-length delivery that nipped back in, punching it through the covers for a couple to bring up his half-century off 102 balls. It바카라™s a knock built on patience and grit, reminiscent of his successful stint as an opener in England a few years ago. With a high-profile Test series on the horizon, Rahul바카라™s return to form is a welcome sign for India.
KL Rahul brought up the first six of the match in commanding style, also raising a 50-run stand with Dhruv Jurel in the process. Having taken his time to settle in, Rahul finally shifted gears. Spotting the good-length delivery early, he advanced down the track, turning it into a slot ball and launching it cleanly over long-off. Bowler Farhan was left with no time to adjust, as Rahul바카라™s confident footwork and timing turned the tide of the session in India A바카라™s favour.
Tea on Day 1 and it바카라™s India A firmly in control after a dominant afternoon session. They added 102 runs for the loss of just one wicket, reaching 213/3 in 52 overs. KL Rahul and Karun Nair extended their stand before Chris Woakes broke through by trapping Nair LBW for 40 바카라” a decision that left the batter visibly disappointed. Rahul, however, remained composed, moving to 93* with a blend of caution and authority, while Dhruv Jurel (37*) settled in smoothly. With the ball losing its bite and England struggling to make inroads, the visitors will be banking on the second new ball to claw back momentum in the final session.
A landmark moment in the evening session as KL Rahul brings up a superb century for India A, reaching the milestone in 151 deliveries with a delicate tap past backward point. It바카라™s been a vintage Rahul innings 바카라” composed, fluent, and full of assured strokeplay 바카라” marking a significant statement ahead of the big international assignments. At the other end, Dhruv Jurel showcased his growing maturity with a punchy half-century of his own, getting there in just 66 balls with a commanding pull through mid-wicket for four. The duo바카라™s 100-run partnership has firmly consolidated India A바카라™s dominance, putting them in a commanding position as the day progresses.
A dramatic double strike from George Hill has turned the tide late in the day! First, he removed the well-set KL Rahul for 116 with a beautifully pitched delivery outside off that drew the drive and found the edge. Ben Gay, stationed at second slip, completed a sharp low catch with his fingers pointing up, ending Rahul바카라™s patient and classy innings. Just an over later, Hill produced a gem to dismantle Dhruv Jurel바카라™s stumps. The ball pitched on a good length, jagged back in sharply, and breached the gap between bat and pad to crash into the top of off. Jurel, who had looked composed during his 52-run stay, could only shake his head as the stumps lay disturbed. Two quick blows, and the 100-run partnership was snapped just like that, injecting fresh energy into England바카라™s attack.
Farhan Ahmed finally gets rewarded as he traps Shardul Thakur LBW with a well-flighted delivery. Thakur, looking to be positive, went for the sweep but missed it completely and was struck on the pad. He looked displeased with the decision but had to walk back after a handy 19 off 34. Tanush Kotian joined Nitish Kumar Reddy, who has been solid and cautious at the crease, unbeaten on 9 off 34 balls. With the skies turning increasingly gloomy, the floodlights were switched on, but moments later, rain made a return, forcing the players off the field as the covers came on.
Shortly after play resumed following the rain interruption, Nitish Kumar Reddy shifted gears with a calculated counterattack. Having started his innings with caution, he unleashed a flurry of strokes, first dispatching Tom Haines for two crisp boundaries in an over. He then took on Farhan Ahmed with an aggressive burst, scoring 4, 2, 4 in successive deliveries. Reddy바카라™s positive intent not only released the pressure but also carried India A past the 300-run mark, injecting momentum into the innings as the final session gathered pace.
BOWLED! A moment of brilliance from Tom Haines as he strikes against the run of play to dismiss Nitish Kumar Reddy. It was a good length delivery around the fourth stump that jagged back in sharply off the surface. Reddy, perhaps expecting it to hold its line, chose to shoulder arms 바카라” a fatal misjudgment. The ball seamed in beautifully and clipped the top of off-stump, sending Reddy back for a promising 33. A crucial breakthrough for the hosts just when India A were starting to rebuild.
Stumps have been drawn at the County Ground after a rain-marred opening day, with India A reaching 319/7 at the close of play after 83 overs. The day saw multiple interruptions, but an extended final session allowed for steady progress. The highlight was KL Rahul바카라™s elegant century 바카라” a knock defined by poise, patience, and precise shot-making. His 116 anchored the innings and formed the backbone of a solid batting effort. Contributions from Dhruv Jurel (52) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (33) added depth, though England Lions clawed back late with timely wickets. The match remains finely balanced heading into Day 2.
That's all from the Day 1 of the 2nd Unofficial test between IndianA and England Lions. After a rain-interrupted but eventful opening day at the County Ground, India A ended strongly at 319/7 in 83 overs, thanks largely to KL Rahul바카라™s classy 116 that anchored the innings amid testing conditions. Put in to bat on a lively, green-tinged surface, India A lost early wickets to the probing swing of Chris Woakes, who removed Yashasvi Jaiswal and captain Abhimanyu Easwaran. Rahul then combined with Karun Nair for a stabilizing third-wicket stand of 86, weathering the initial storm before taking control. After Nair fell for 40, Rahul forged another crucial partnership with Dhruv Jurel, who also notched a composed half-century. George Hill바카라™s twin strikes, dismissing both Jurel and Rahul in quick succession, gave England Lions a late boost, while Nitish Kumar Reddy바카라™s patient 34 was cut short by Tom Haines. Shardul Thakur chipped in with a brisk 19 before falling to Farhan Ahmed, and the unbeaten pair of Tanush Kotian and Anshul Kamboj ensured no further damage before stumps. Despite multiple stoppages, India A will be pleased with their position heading into Day 2.