Snubbed Sarfaraz Khan leets bat do the taking in India A's dominant show against England Lions
Sarfaraz Khan scored 92 runs off 119 balls.
New Delhi: India A dominated the first day of their unofficial Test against England Lions, reaching 409/3. Karun Nair's unbeaten 186 was the highlight, showcasing impressive batting against a relatively weak Lions bowling attack. While Nair typically bats lower in the order, his performance suggests he could be a valuable asset at higher positions. The match conditions may not accurately reflect the challenges of a full Test match.
Gautam Gambhir's concerns about his team's opening batting lineup for the first Test against England were somewhat alleviated by a strong performance, featuring 24 fours and a six, which came at a crucial time before the match commencing on June 20th in Leeds.
Despite a strong performance of 92 runs from 119 balls, showcasing both power and skillful batting, Sarfaraz Khan fell short of a century. This impressive display, however, did not secure him a place in India's Test squad for the upcoming series against England.
Dhruv Jurel's unbeaten 82, supported by an earlier 181-run third-wicket partnership, contributed to an unbroken 177-run fourth-wicket stand.
Jaiswal's slow start (24 runs from 55 balls) contrasted with Easwaran's early dismissal (8 runs), highlighting the latter's continued struggles at the Test level.
Brief scores: India A: 409/3 in 90 overs (Karun Nair 186 batting; Sarfaraz Khan 92, Dhruv Jurel 82 batting; Josh Hull 2/51).
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
10 hours ago
- NDTV
Mohammad Haris Powers Pakistan To 3-0 Whitewash, Makes Huge Leap In ICC T20I Rankings
Pakistan grabbed the spotlight with a commanding 3-0 series sweep over Bangladesh on home soil. Leading the charge was Mohammad Haris, who was named Player of the Series after a sensational century in the final match. His explosive performance saw him skyrocket 210 places to reach No. 30 in the latest ICC Men's T20I Batter Rankings, according to the official website of ICC. He smashed a fiery unbeaten 107 off just 46 balls in the third T20I, backing up his earlier knocks of 41 and 31 to finish as the series' top run-scorer with 167 runs at a strike rate of 201.12. Fellow middle-order batter Hasan Nawaz also impressed, finishing second on the charts with 121 runs at a strike rate of 198.36. He surged 57 places to a career-best equal 45th in the batting charts. Bangladesh's Tanzid Hasan (up 28 places to No.53) and Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha (up 42 spots to equal 75th) were the other notable movers among batters after the series. In a high-scoring third T20I, Abbas Afridi returned with brilliant figures of 2/26, helping him jump 18 spots to a three-way-tied 19th spot in the ICC Men's T20I Bowlers Rankings with Anrich Nortje and Haris Rauf. Meanwhile, Shadab Khan's all-round contributions - 55 runs in two innings and four wickets across the series - helped him climb 10 places to No.14 in the ICC Men's T20I All-rounder Rankings. Playing at home, England completed a 3-0 whitewash over West Indies to set the new Harry Brook era rolling. In the new era, it was the seasoned Joe Root who led the charge, earning Player of the Series honours with 267 runs, including a century and a fifty, taking the former captain up 14 spots to equal 24th place in the ICC Men's ODI Batters Rankings. The highlight was a career-best 166* off 139 balls in the second ODI, where Root rescued England from 133/5 in the 24th over while chasing 309, guiding them to a memorable win. Ben Duckett continued his strong run in ODIs, backing up his Champions Trophy 2025 form with two more half-centuries against West Indies, as a result jumping up three spots to 17th in the latest rankings update. New skipper Harry Brook also made valuable contributions in the 3-0 sweep, registering scores of 58, 47, and an unbeaten 26 at a strike rate of 111.96. He jumps 15 spots to No.48. Even in defeat, Keacy Carty continued to shine for West Indies, finishing as the second-highest run-scorer of the series with 154 runs in three games. Building on two centuries against Ireland earlier in the European tour, Carty struck his fourth ODI ton in the second match against England, further cementing his place in the side. The 28-year-old Carty climbs four places to No.12 in the Batting Rankings with a rating of 659, just one behind fellow West Indian Shai Hope (660) and 17 off Afghanistan's Ibrahim Zadran (676), who sits in 10th. In the ICC Men's ODI Bowling Rankings, Adil Rashid, the leading wicket-taker of the series with nine scalps, moves up four spots to No.19. Saqib Mahmood makes the biggest leap, surging 82 places to No.48 after finishing with eight wickets. West Indies pace spearhead Alzarri Joseph picked up seven wickets in the series to climb nine spots to 18th in the ICC Men's ODI Bowling Rankings. His handy 41-run knock in the final ODI also lifted him six places to joint-21st in the All-rounders Rankings.
NDTV
11 hours ago
- NDTV
Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan Unavailable For Second India A vs England Lions match
India's newly appointed Test captain Shubman Gill will not feature in the second unofficial Test between India A and England Lions, set to begin on June 6 in Northampton. Although the BCCI had earlier announced that Gill and his Gujarat Titans opening partner B Sai Sudharsan would join the India A squad ahead of the match. However, both players will now travel directly with the senior Test squad, which arrives in England on June 6, ESPNcricinfo reported. In contrast, KL Rahul is expected to turn out for India A after linking up with the squad on Tuesday. The first Test of the five-match series between India and England is scheduled to begin on June 20 in Leeds. England Lions, who fielded a relatively inexperienced side with only six Test caps in the opening game in Canterbury, are expected to be strengthened by the inclusion of all-rounder Chris Woakes for the Northampton match. For India A, pacer Akash Deep will be available for selection. The right-arm fast bowler had been recovering from a back injury sustained after the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year but was declared fit in April and subsequently played in IPL 2025 for the Lucknow Super Giants. Though he was present with the squad during the first unofficial Test, Akash mostly trained on the sidelines, bowling in brief spells during intervals across the four days. The opening match between India A and England Lions ended in a draw on a flat and slow surface in Canterbury, offering little assistance to the bowlers. Among the standout performers for India A were Karun Nair, who struck a double hundred, Dhruv Jurel with two fifties, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, all of whom contributed quick half-centuries in the second innings. All-rounders Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shardul Thakur, both part of India's main Test squad, bowled 14.5 and 28 overs, respectively, in the match and are expected to continue building their workloads in the second unofficial Test. After the Northampton match concludes on June 9, the Indian team will play a closed-door intra-squad fixture against India A in Beckenham. Following that, the senior Test squad will head to Leeds to prepare for the series opener.
The Hindu
12 hours ago
- The Hindu
Rabada tested positive for cocaine, says South African testing agency
Kagiso Rabada's month-long suspension after he failed a drug test was because the fast bowler tested positive for cocaine, the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS) has said. Rabada, who was with the Gujarat Titans (GT) when he returned home from the Indian Premier League in April, admitted failing a drug test and apologised for his actions. The 30-year-old, ranked number two in the Test bowler rankings, said he had returned an adverse analytical finding for the use of a recreational drug. Rabada had been tested in January when he was playing in the SA20 for MI Cape Town and SAIDS said in a report published this week that it detected the presence of Benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine. Rabada returned from his suspension to play two matches for GT, which finished third in the standings. He is due to spearhead South Africa's bowling attack in the World Test Championship final at Lord's when they face Australia from June 11-15.
