KL Rahul continued his excellent start to his tour of England, adding a half-century to his first-innings hundred for India A against England Lions.
He made 51 to help extend his side’s slender lead past three figures, having made 116 to lay the platform for a total of 348 first time round. Now a senior player following the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, Rahul continued his happy habit of starting tours well, though he will want to kick his issues with ending them poorly to give India a shot at a first series win in England since 2008.
The prize of a series win for India A pales in comparison, but Rahul’s knocks gave them a shot at that goal as well. After the first game was a run-soaked draw, the second has seen a more even contest between bat and ball. The third day began with England Lions trailing by 156 with seven wickets in hand, but they lost their way early, Khaleel Ahmed taking four wickets in the first hour to put them in sight of a match-defining lead. He dismissed Jordan Cox, James Rew, Chris Woakes and George Hill in the space of four overs, with Tushar Deshpande then removing Max Holden, the Lions’ last recognised batter. Trailing by 105 with just two wickets in hand, the Lions’ tail wagged, with Farhan Ahmed, Josh Tongue and Eddie Jack each reaching double figures to keep the deficit to 21.
In reply, India A lost Yashasvi Jaiswal early to Hill before Rahul and Abhimanyu and Easwaran carried the lead past three figures. The latter, yet to play a Test but captaining India A, made 80, his second second-innings half-century of the series, before becoming Woakes’ second wicket. Woakes had already dismissed Karun Nair, while Jack accounted for Rahul.
India A reached stumps four down and leading by 184, with one day’s play left in the game. India will play an intra-squad warm-up game at Beckenham starting on June 13, before the Test series proper starts on June 20 at Headingley.
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