India A faced a tough day on Day 2 of the second unofficial Test against England Lions in Northampton, as their bowling unit struggled to contain the home side’s batting lineup. The visitors started the day having reached 319/7 overnight but were soon dismissed for 348, largely due to a disciplined bowling performance from England Lions’ Joshua Tongue who quickly wrapped up the tail. However, the real challenge for India A came with the ball in hand, where their pace-bowling all-rounders Shardul Thakur and Nitish Kumar Reddy failed to make the impact needed.
Both bowlers, expected to be key contenders for the all-rounder spot in the upcoming Test series against England, bowled wicketless spells despite helpful conditions with plenty of swing. Thakur bowled six overs without success, while Reddy managed some swing but couldn’t trouble the batsmen in his six overs. Their inability to take wickets or maintain pressure will be a significant concern for the Indian team management.
England Lions vs India A, 2nd unofficial Test Day 2: Highlights
On the batting front, England Lions got off to a solid start, with Tom Haines recovering well after the early loss of opening partner Ben McKinney, who was dismissed by Anshul Kamboj in the eighth over. Haines showcased his class once again with a patient and well-crafted 54-run innings, following his big hundred in the first unofficial Test. He shared a crucial 94-run partnership with Emilio Gay, who played a vital knock of 71 runs. Gay showed resilience, even shrugging off a helmet blow from a Khaleel Ahmed bouncer as he steadied the innings.
The partnership eased the pressure on the Lions and helped them reduce India A’s first innings lead to 156 runs by the time bad light forced an early end to the day’s play. Tanush Kotian was the bright spot with the ball, taking the crucial wicket of Gay towards the end of the session.
Meanwhile, Jordan Cox remained unbeaten on 31, looking comfortable to take on the bowling on Day 3. For India A, a far more clinical bowling display will be necessary to challenge England Lions and get back into the match.
