India A vs England Lions, 2nd unofficial Test: KL Rahul hits form with ton and half-century in drawn Test
Kl Rahul
The second unofficial four-day Test between India A and England Lions concluded in a draw at Northampton on Monday, with unbeaten half-centuries from
Tanush Kotian
(90 not out) and Anshul Kamboj (51 not out) highlighting India A's second innings total of 417/7 declared.
India A set a target of 439 for England Lions in the post-tea session on the final day, after which the Lions managed 32/3 in 11 overs before the match ended.
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Mumbai all-rounder Kotian struck 10 fours in his 108-ball innings of 90 not out, forming an unbroken 149-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Kamboj against a tiring England Lions attack.
Gautam Gambhir sends stern message after Bengaluru tragedy
Kamboj capitalized on his opportunity with a solid fifty, as the Lions were forced to employ part-time bowlers in search of wickets.
The duo displayed exceptional temperament, nullifying any late attempts at a breakthrough and showcasing India A's batting depth.
Earlier in the innings,
KL Rahul
contributed 51 runs while
Abhimanyu Easwaran
made 80, and Nitish Kumar Reddy scored 42. George Hill was the most successful bowler for England Lions with figures of 3/64.
Quiz:
Who's that IPL player?
The match followed a similar pattern to the first unofficial Test in Canterbury, which also ended in a draw.
In the brief chase, Kamboj picked up 2 wickets for 6 runs in England Lions' second innings of 32/3 in 11 overs.
India A had scored 348 in their first innings, while England Lions managed 327 in response.
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But when you get there and you're in that environment, it's felt as professional as anywhere else in the world. It felt like I could have been dropped in an IPL team or I could have been dropped in a county or even in a Big Bash in Australia. It feels like it's well put together. It's well organised. Whatever hurdles we've got in terms of what does that ground look like in terms of practice, what does that outfit look like? The guys have done an amazing job to bring everyone together. They've selected the team well. They've given youngsters a chance. And it feels like a well put together organisation.
