India A dominated with the bat on Day One (May 30) of their first four-day tour match against England Lions at Canterbury, piling on a commanding total.
The wicket had a visible grass cover, suggesting getting runs wouldn't be straightforward. That looked to be true when, after being put in to bat, India A lost captain Abhimanyu Easwaran for eight runs after lanky left-arm fast bowler Josh Hull, returning from an injury, pinned him lbw. Eddie Jack was the next to strike, removing the other opener, this time Yashasvi Jaiswal for 24.
However, in a period of consolidation, Karun Nair, having put an end to his eight-year international exile, joined together with Sarfaraz Khan to stitch a 181-run stand for the fourth wicket. By the time Sarfaraz departed for a 119-ball 92, days after his Test snub, India were 232-3.
The highlight of the day, however, was Nair. After reaching his 24th first-class ton off 155 balls, he finished the day unbeaten, scoring 85 off the next 91. His swashbuckling 186 not out included 24 fours and a six. With his last Test coming way back in 2017, there's hope for Nair that his brilliant outing could advance his case for a place in India’s XI when they take on England in the five-match Test series from June 20.
1st unofficial Test, England Lions vs India A
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Dhruv Jurel, India’s backup wicketkeeper for the main tour, capitalised on the platform set by Sarfaraz and Nair. Batting at No. 5, he smashed nine fours and a six in his unbeaten 82 (104 balls), adding a fiery 177-run stand with Nair off just 180 deliveries to propel India A to 409-3 at stumps. For England Lions, only Hull (2-51) and Jack (1-51) managed wickets.
This is the first of two unofficial Tests for India A against England Lions, to be followed by an intra-squad match against India's senior side at Beckenham.
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