England Lions Trail India A in Unofficial Test After Day 2
Day 2 Summary of the Unofficial Test
Northampton [UK], June 7: The England Lions concluded Day 2 of their second unofficial Test against India A with a score of 192/3, trailing by 156 runs. The day's play was halted prematurely due to poor lighting, leaving two more days of cricket ahead.
Chasing India A's first-innings total of 348, the Lions started cautiously after losing Ben McKinney for 12 runs. They gained momentum through a solid partnership of 94 runs between Tom Haines and Emilio Gay. Haines played a steady innings, scoring 54 runs off 88 balls with nine boundaries, while Gay showcased his skills with a fluent 71 runs off 117 balls, including seven fours.
India A's breakthrough came from Tushar Deshpande, who dismissed Haines, but he ended the day with figures of 1/44 in eight overs, proving to be quite expensive.
The Lions maintained a brisk scoring rate, reaching 150 runs in just 34.4 overs, demonstrating their intent to keep the scoreboard ticking.
Just before the close of play, Emilio Gay was dismissed leg-before by off-spinner Tanush Kotian, providing India A with a crucial breakthrough.
At the end of the day, Jordan Cox was not out on 31, while captain James Rew had yet to score. With a solid start, the Lions aim to reduce the deficit further when play resumes on Day 3.
On Day 1, KL Rahul made a remarkable comeback, scoring a brilliant century for India A. He opened the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal, while captain Abhimanyu Easwaran moved down to the third position. Despite losing wickets at the other end, Rahul remained steadfast.
His innings was a mix of aggression and caution, and he reached his century in the 56th over, celebrating the milestone with a raised bat after scoring 116 runs off 168 balls, including fifteen boundaries and a six. This performance is a significant boost for him ahead of the upcoming five Tests against England starting June 20 at Headingley.
Brief Scores: India A 348 (KL Rahul 116, Dhruv Jurel 52; Chris Woakes 3/60) vs England Lions 192/3 (Emilio Gay 71, Tom Haines 54; Tanush Kotian 1/21)