After heroics from Ayush Mhatre and Ralphie Albert, bad light played spoilsport as India U19 finished on 290-6 in pursuit of 355 in the second Youth Test.
The second Youth Test at Chelmsford seemed to be headed for a draw when the last day’s play began. India, 170-1 at one point, had collapsed to 279 – Ralphie Albert returned 6-53 – to concede a 30-run first-innings lead to England, who began the final day on 93-0.
However, Ed Dawkins (136 in 184 balls) and Adam Thomas (91 in 132) went for the runs from the onset, and it became clear that the hosts were eyeing a declaration. That came at 324-5 after 62 overs of batting (231 in 37 overs on day).
Left to chase 355 or bat out 65 overs, India went for the latter. Vaibhav Suryavanshi, whose brand of batting would have come handy in the chase, fell first ball, but captain Mhatre, his opening partner, went after the bowling. By the time Vihaan Malhotra perished, the second-wicket stand had put on exactly 100 in 82 balls.
Vice-captain Abhigyan Kundu’s arrival led to attack from both ends, and the asking rate came down rapidly. Having raced to his fifty in 25 balls and hundred in 64, Mhatre eventually hit Albert to long-on for an 80-ball 126 that included 13 fours and six sixes. Albert soon had Kundu caught at slip, but not before the latter had made 65 in 46 balls with five fours and four sixes.
2nd Youth Test, England Under-19 vs India Under-19
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Despite being reduced to 232-5 and then 263-6, the Indians had the asking rate under control. When bad light stopped play at 6.32 in the evening, they needed 65 in 22 overs, while England needed to take four wickets. Unfortunately, play never resumed again, and was called off at 6.57.
Albert finished with 4-76 in 14 overs, which gave him a match haul of 10-129. He and Ben Mayes (1-60 in 11 overs) were the only England bowlers to go at under 6.8 an over.
The two-match Youth Test series ended in a 0-0 draw.
