County Ground Northampton

2nd unofficial Test, Day 1: KL Rahul roars back with ton ahead of England Tests | Cricket News

Danijones1 day ago03 mins

KL Rahul (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images) NEW DELHI: Despite England Lions making early inroads after winning the toss and opting to bowl first on Day 1 of the second unofficial Test in Northampton on Friday, India A ended the day at 319/7 in 83 overs, riding on strong contributions from KL Rahul, Karun Nair, and Dhruv Jurel after early setbacks.The morning session belonged to England Lions pacer Chris Woakes, who struck twice to remove openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (17) and captain Abhimanyu Easwaran (11), leaving India A at 40/2.KL Rahul, returning to longer-format cricket, played a composed knock. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Alongside Karun Nair, he added 86 runs for the third wicket before Nair was trapped lbw by Woakes for 40. Rahul went on to score a fluent 116 off 168 balls, laced with 15 boundaries, before falling to George Hill shortly after the team crossed the 250-run mark.Middle-order contributions from Dhruv Jurel (52) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (34) kept the scoreboard moving, but wickets fell at regular intervals in the final session.Shardul Thakur (19) was dismissed lbw by spinner Farhan Ahmed, while George Hill claimed two crucial wickets, including that of Jurel.India A ended the day on a balanced position, with Tanush Kotian (5 not out) and Anshul Kamboj (1 not out) at the crease. Despite a few middle-order collapses, they posted a competitive total on a pitch offering movement early on. Gautam Gambhir sends stern message after Bengaluru tragedy Woakes was the pick of the bowlers for the hosts, finishing with 3/50, while George Hill supported well with 2/56.Brief Scores (Day 1):India A 319/7 in 83 overs (KL Rahul 116, Dhruv Jurel 52, Chris Woakes 3/50, George Hill 2/56) vs England Lions.

Class act! KL Rahul smashes century vs England Lions in second Unofficial Test; India A in command | Cricket News

Danijones1 day ago03 mins

NEW DELHI: KL Rahul stormed back into form with a sublime century on the opening day of the second unofficial Test against England Lions in Northampton on Friday. Put into bat first, India A tweaked their playing XI from the previous game, promoting Rahul to open alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, while skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran moved down to No. 3. But Chris Woakes struck early, removing Jaiswal (17) and Easwaran (11) cheaply, leaving Rahul to steady the innings.Rahul combined caution with well-timed aggression as he expertly built his innings. He reached his hundred in the 56th over and went on to score 116 off 168 balls, laced with 15 fours and a six — a classy knock that couldn’t have come at a better time, with the five-Test series against England starting June 20 at Headingley.Since making his Test debut at the MCG in 2014, Rahul has played 58 Tests for India, scoring 3,257 runs at an average of 33.57. Among the current Indian squad touring England, he remains one of the most seasoned in English conditions. In nine Tests there, he has tallied 614 runs at 34.11, including two centuries and a fifty, with a best of 149.At the other end, Dhruv Jurel extended his fine run of form. After scores of 94 and 53* in the first unofficial Test, the young wicketkeeper-batter compiled a gritty 52 off 87 balls. His 121-run partnership with Rahul helped revive India A’s innings after the early blows. Huge prediction! KL Rahul would play in place of Rishabh Pant in 2026 T20 World Cup Jurel’s stay ended when George Hill bowled him through the gate. Hill then got rid of Rahul as well, with Emilio Gay taking the catch to end the centurion’s superb knock — one that earned generous applause from the Northampton crowd.India’s Test Series Schedule vs England:1st Test: June 20–24, 2025 – Headingley, Leeds2nd Test: July 2–6, 2025 – Edgbaston, Birmingham3rd Test: July 10–14, 2025 – Lord’s, London4th Test: July 23–27, 2025 – Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester5th Test: July 31–August 4, 2025 – Kia Oval, London Gautam Gambhir sends stern message after Bengaluru tragedy