All-round Kamboj shines as India A's second unofficial Test against England Lions ends in draw
Anshul Kamboj smashed his maiden First-Class fifty and also grabbed two wickets on the last day as India A's second unofficial Test against England Loins ended in a draw here on Monday.
England Lions, set an improbable 439-run target in the final session in the four-day match slipped to 32 for three before both the captains decided to shake hands.
India A will now move to Beckenham to join the senior players for a four-day intra-squad match to be played from June 13-16 at the Kent County Cricket Ground.
India A's first unofficial Test against England Lions had also ended in a draw in Canterbury.
India A batters consumed the first two sessions on the final day to garner experience on a flat track.
Tanush Kotian struck a fluent 90 not out off 108 balls with 10 fours and a six while Kamboj made 51 not out off 86 balls, putting on an unbeaten 149 runs for the eighth wicket.
India declared their second innings at 417/7 after the tea break. England were rocked early when Tushar Deshpande had Tom Haines caught at the second slip.
It was a terrific catch from Nitish Reddy who flew to his left to catch the ball over his head.
Kamboj then had Emilio Gay (5) caught behind by the wicketkeeper. He also broke through the defence of Jordan Cox (0) in the eighth over.
Earlier, Dhruv Jurel (28), Reddy (42) and Shardul Thakur (34) spent quality time in the middle to gather enough game time in England as the Indians continue to prepare for the five-Test series starting on June 20.
Jurel had hit 52 in the first innings while Reddy, who made 34 in the first essay, missed out on a half-century in the second innings.
It was a productive outing for some of the Indian players as Test opener KL Rahul struck a patient 116 (168 balls, 15x4s, 1x6s) in the first innings to set up a total of 348.
Karun Nair, who made a double hundred in the first game, scored 40 and 15 in the two innings of the second match while skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran bounced back to make a 92-ball 80 in the second essay.
Yashasvi Jaiswal had a forgettable second unofficial Test as he was dismissed for 17 and five in the two innings. But the left-handed India opener had hit a quality 64 in the second innings of the first unofficial Test.
Among the bowlers, left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed took 4/70 in the first innings while Tushar Deshpande chipped in with a couple. Kamboj took his tally to four wickets in the contest as he grabbed a two wickets each in the two innings.
Brief scores: India A 348 & 417/7 decl in 92 overs (KL Rahul 51, Abhimanyu Easwaran 80, Nitish Kumar Reddy 42, Tanush Kotian 90 not out, Anshul Kamboj 51 not out; George Hill 3/64) drew with England Lions 327 & 32/3 in 11 overs (Anshul Kamboj 2/6).
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
25 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Pat Cummins' sharp retort to facing South Africa in WTC final: ‘Nice to see something different to AUS-IND clash'
Pat Cummins-led Australia are gearing up to face South Africa in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at the Lord's Cricket Ground. Ahead of the marquee contest, Cummins said it feels 'nice and different' to see something other than yet another Australia-India final. The Australia pacer said that he is not at all surprised to see the Proteas making their way to the WTC final. Australia, the defending WTC champions, are the favourites for the summit clash, but one cannot count out South Africa, as the latter has a formidable pace attack. However, if one is to compare man-to-man then Australia are the clear favourites looking at the experience of both the teams. Pat Cummins still remains wary of the Proteas challenge and is not willing to take the Temba Bavuma-led side lightly. 'In some ways you expect India to be around. England have been quite strong at home and New Zealand always seem to get to finals. But the same case could be made for South Africa in ICC events," Cummins told the Guardian. Also Read: Pat Cummins mocked with a cheeky dig by English TV presenter ahead of WTC Final 'We just don't see a lot of them in Test cricket but it's nice and different to an Australia-India final,' he added. Ever since South Africa reached the WTC final, critics have argued about how Bavuma and co. made the trip to the summit clash on the back of victories in a two-Test series and how the Proteas didn't play against the top teams such as Australia, England, and India in the WTC 2023-2025 cycle. However, Cummins brushed aside this theory saying nobody can fault South Africa for having a 'different route' to the final. 'You can only beat who you come up against. Our route to the final was pretty tough but I don't blame South Africa for having a different route,' he said. It has been more than three months since both Australia and South Africa played a Test match. How both teams perform at Lord's, needs to be seen but one expects a cracking contest in front of the sold out stadium. 'It's hard to say because there are so many unknowns. We haven't played them much but you've got to be really well balanced to make the final. Their bowling has always stood out and it's no different now," said Cummins. 'Keshav Maharaj is a really solid spinner and they've always got plenty of quick bowlers who pose a challenge,' he added.
India.com
32 minutes ago
- India.com
Adrian le Roux replaces Soham Desai as India's new strength and conditioning coach ahead of Test series vs England
Adrian le Roux New Delhi: Adrian le Roux, a highly respected sports scientist, has replaced Soham Desai as the Indian men's cricket team's strength and conditioning coach for their upcoming England tour. This marks Le Roux's second stint with the national team, having previously held the position from January 2002 to May 2003. His appointment was announced alongside training footage released by the BCCI as the team prepares for a five-Test series beginning June 20th at Headingley. With head coach Gautam Gambhir overseeing the session, pace bowlers Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, and Jasprit Bumrah practiced alongside wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, and newly appointed Test captain Shubman Gill. Following the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill was appointed India's 37th Test captain. He leads a relatively inexperienced team aiming to secure India's first Test series victory in England in over 15 years. England will host India in a five-test series at Headingley, Edgbaston, Lord's, Old Trafford, and The Oval. Several Indian players, some from the national team, are currently in England playing in a warm-up match against the England Lions in Northampton to prepare for the series. After a successful six-year run with the Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League, culminating in a near-championship finish in 2025, Le Roux returned to the national team. He shared an emotional goodbye message on Instagram, reflecting on his time with the Kings and the relationships he forged. 'And with that, a six-year journey with the @punjabkingsipl comes to an end. Went all the way to the final this season In the fast-moving world of professional sport, it's easy to get caught up in the results,' he wrote. 'But every now and then you pause and realise that while it's about performance and pressure, it's also about people, shared moments and friendships that will last a lifetime. As I step into a new role with @indiancricketteam, I'll carry these memories with me.' India's upcoming five-Test series in England marks the beginning of their new World Test Championship cycle and will be head coach Rahul Dravid's second tenure with the team. Shubman Gill will also lead the team for the first time during this significant tour.
Indian Express
40 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Mansukh Mandaviya writes: The last 11 years have seen a transformation in sporting infrastructure
As we embark on our journey to become Viksit Bharat by 2047, one of the most powerful forces shaping this vision is the rise of Indian sports. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indian sports is scaling new heights on the global stage. Recently, Indian athletes once again made the nation beam with pride through extraordinary performances on the global stage. At the Asian Athletics Championships 2025, the Indian contingent delivered a commanding performance, clinching 24 medals and smashing multiple national records along the way. Our women wrestlers scripted a golden chapter in history, returning from the Ulaanbaatar Open in Mongolia with a record-breaking 21 medals, their best-ever haul at a Ranking Series event. This success didn't come overnight. India won only 26 Olympic medals in the first 23 editions (including before Independence). But in the last three editions alone — 2016, 2020 and 2024 — India bagged 15 medals. In the Paralympics, from just eight medals between 1968 and 2012, India has now won 52 medals in the last three editions, including a record 29 medals in Paris 2024. These achievements are the result of a performance-driven ecosystem built over the last 11 years. PM Modi has brought a clear and focused vision that every athlete, regardless of background, deserves access to world-class training, infrastructure, financial support, athlete-centric governance, and a transparent system to thrive. At the heart of these reforms is the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), launched in 2014 to identify and support top athletes. What began with 75 athletes has now grown to support 213 sportspersons for the Los Angeles 2028 cycle, including 52 para-athletes and 112 athletes under the development category. New schemes have also been introduced to support athletes in disciplines that have traditionally received less attention. The Target Asian Games Group (TAGG), introduced this year, supports 40 medal prospects in 10 disciplines such as fencing, cycling, equestrian, sailing, kayaking and canoeing, judo, taekwondo, tennis, table tennis, and wushu. Driving this performance is a significant financial commitment. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports budget has more than tripled in the last decade, from Rs 1,219 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 3,794 crore in 2025-26. The Khelo India Scheme, launched in 2017 to develop grassroots infrastructure and promote year-round competition, has seen its budget increase to Rs 1,000 crore this year. National sports federations have also received unprecedented support. Financial assistance for hosting international tournaments and national championships has nearly doubled. Coaches' support has been revised upward by 50 per cent. Athlete dietary allowances have been increased to meet the demands of high-performance training. One of the most impactful reforms has been the emphasis on transparency. All federations must video record selection trials and publish selection criteria for major events two years in advance. This ensures fairness, builds trust among athletes, and keeps the system merit-based. Sports certificates are now issued through DigiLocker and linked to the National Sports Repository System, ensuring tamper-proof documentation. The Draft National Sports Policy 2024, along with the Draft National Sports Governance Bill, aim to strengthen the sports ecosystem and bring athlete welfare to the centre of policy making. Age fraud is being tackled through new medical checks and stricter penalties. Federations are also required to appoint Integrity Officers to ensure compliance. In addition to Olympic sports, traditional Indian sports like mallakhamb, kalaripayattu, yogasana, gatka and thang-ta are being revived and promoted through the Khelo India Games. Indigenous sports like Kabaddi and Kho-Kho are now receiving international recognition. The push for gender equity has also been significant. The ASMITA League (Achieving Sports Milestones by Inspiring Women Through Action), launched to promote women's participation in sports, has expanded rapidly: From just 840 women athletes in 2021-22, over 60,000 women across 26 sports participated in 2024–25. The ASMITA League connects these athletes to the Khelo India pathway. India's sports infrastructure has also expanded at an unprecedented scale in the last 11 years. From just 38 infrastructure projects before 2014, the number has now risen to 350. The Sports Authority of India currently runs 23 national centres of excellence, training elite athletes under TOPS and Khelo India. Additionally, 34 state centres of excellence have been established. The Khelo India Games have evolved into a national movement. Nineteen editions have been held so far —including Youth, University, Para, Winter, and Beach Games — with more than 56,000 athletes participating. The Khelo India Para Games, in particular, have been game-changing, with many athletes from these competitions going on to win medals at the Paralympics. Looking ahead, India is preparing for a potential bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and the 2036 Olympic Games. To support this vision, new verticals under Khelo India such as the School Games, Tribal Games, Northeast Games, Water Games, Martial Arts Games, and Swadeshi Games are being launched. The upcoming Khelo India School Games will play a pivotal role in bringing fresh talent into the sporting ecosystem. PM Modi's vision is for India to be among the top 10 sporting nations when we host the Olympics in 2036 and among the top five by the time we mark 100 years of Independence in 2047. Much has been done to fulfil this vision, but a lot remains to be achieved. India's sporting revolution today is a story of vision, resolve, and inclusive growth. With our youth at the heart of this transformation, and under the dynamic leadership of PM Modi, India is rising as a global sporting powerhouse. From medals to mindsets, the change is visible and the journey to Viksit Bharat is being powered by the spirit of sport. The writer is Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports and Labour and Employment
