Abhimanyu Easwaran and Yashasvi Jaiswal depart early on Day 1 of the first Unofficial Test against England Lions

India A faced a stern test on the opening day of their first Unofficial Test against England Lions at the St Lawrence Ground, losing both openers  – Abhimanyu Easwaran and Yashasvi Jaiswal – departed cheaply before the lunch break. Despite the early setbacks, a resilient partnership between Karun Nair and Sarfaraz Khan ensured India A reached 86 for 2 from 27 overs at the interval.

England Lions take advantage of the bowling friendly conditions

England Lions, having won the toss and elected to field first in conditions that initially favoured seamers, capitalized on the helpful conditions to strike early blows. Left-arm pacer Josh Hull provided the first breakthrough for the hosts in just the sixth over. He trapped India A captain Easwaran plumb leg-before for a mere 8 runs off 17 deliveries. Easwaran had shown glimpses of form with two boundaries but couldn’t convert his start into a substantial innings, marking a short stay at the crease for the skipper.

The pressure continued to mount on the Indian touring side. Jaiswal, who appeared more settled at the crease and seemed to be building a partnership with Nair, was the next to depart. In the 17th over, Jaiswal edged a delivery from Eddie Jack, with wicketkeeper James Rew completing a comfortable catch. Jaiswal’s innings of 24 runs came off 55 balls and included three fours and a six, but his dismissal left India A at a precarious position with both openers back in the pavilion.

At the lunch interval, India A found some stability thanks to the efforts of Nair and Sarfaraz. Nair, showing his experience, remained unbeaten on 26 runs from 60 deliveries, meticulously navigating the challenging new-ball spell. Sarfaraz, known for his aggressive style, complemented Nair well, contributing a brisk 17 not out from 31 balls. Their partnership has been crucial in steadying the innings after the initial blows, providing a much-needed period of calm for the touring side.

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England Lions vs India A: Playing XI of both teams

India A: Abhimanyu Easwaran (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shardul Thakur, Harsh Dubey, Anshul Kamboj, Harshit Rana, Mukesh Kumar

England Lions: Tom Haines, Ben McKinney, Emilio Gay, Max Holden, James Rew (c & wk), Dan Mousley, Rehan Ahmed, Zaman Akhter, Eddie Jack, Josh Hull, Ajeet Dale

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