India A kicked off their England tour with a powerful batting display in the first unofficial Test against England Lions at Canterbury.
Karun Nair stole the spotlight on the first day with an unbeaten 186 and guided India A past 400 runs on the opening day itself.
He walked in early, held the innings together, stayed unbeaten at stumps and made a solid case for selection in the senior Test team ahead of the England series.
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How did India A perform on Day 2 against England Lions?
Karun Nair completes double hundred
On the second day, Nair picked up where he left off as he converted the brilliant knock to a double hundred to announce his comeback to red-ball cricket after nine years in style. The right-hand batter eventually was dismissed for 204 runs, but his exceptional batting helped India A reach 533 runs at Lunch on Day 2.
How did India A perform on Day 1 against England Lions?
Abhimanyu Easwaran fell early for 8 runs
India A didn’t get off to a great start. Skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran was dismissed in just the sixth over after he was caught lbw by Josh Hull. He made only 8 runs and couldn’t really settle in.
Jaiswal threw away a good start after scoring 24
Yashasvi Jaiswal looked in good touch and hit a few nice boundaries. But just before lunch, he tried an unnecessary slog and lost his wicket to Eddie Jack. He scored 24 from 55 balls.
Karun Nair scored a brilliant unbeaten 186
The star of the day was Karun Nair. He walked in early and batted through the day, finishing on 186 not out from 246 balls. He played a wide range of shots and handled both seam and spin with ease.
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He hasn’t played a Test for India since 2017 and this knock could be a turning point. With Virat Kohli no longer around, there is a space in the middle order. Nair’s experience and form might just give him the edge.
Sarfaraz Khan supported well with a fine 92
Sarfaraz Khan joined Nair after Jaiswal’s wicket and played freely. He added 181 runs with Nair for the third wicket before getting caught behind for 92. His knock included 13 boundaries.
Dhruv Jurel finished the day on 82 not out
Wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel batted with great maturity. He came in after Sarfaraz’s dismissal and stayed unbeaten on 82. Along with Nair, he added 177 runs for the fourth wicket by stumps.
India A ended the day at 409/3 in 90 overs
Thanks to the big knocks by Nair, Sarfaraz, and Jurel, India A ended the opening day on a strong note. The score was 409/3 in 90 overs, and the team looks set for a big total in the first innings.
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India-A Top 5 run scorers (Day 1)
| Player | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karun Nair | 186* | 246 | 24 | 1 |
| Sarfaraz Khan | 92 | 119 | 13 | 0 |
| Dhruv Jurel | 82* | 104 | 9 | 1 |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | 24 | 55 | 3 | 1 |
| Abhimanyu Easwaran | 8 | 17 | 2 | 0 |