India v England, 2012-13

At Ahmedabad (Sardar Patel Stadium B Ground), November 8-11, 2012. Drawn. Toss: England XI.

With Steven Finn and Stuart Broad nursing injuries, and Graeme Swann temporarily back home to be with his ill baby, England gave a workout to their second-string bowlers in the final warm-up match before the First Test. But it was their first-choice batting line-up that cashed in on the flattest of pitches. Compton shared opening stands of 166 with Cook in the first innings and 162 with Trott in the second, while Pietersen blasted 110 off 94 balls. His second fifty required only 32, and the opening day alone brought 408 runs.

Mishra, a legspinner with Test experience, did not bring himself on until the 51st over, though he and the 22-year-old Jayant Yadav - who claimed England's aggression betrayed their nerves against spin - shared eight wickets. Rahul Dewan carried his bat in seven hours 41 minutes of unfailing application, before England - armed with a lead of 187 - opted to go in again. Trott made a century, then the bowlers gave Haryana a late scare. On the second day, an unwell Prior was eventually given permission to hand over the gloves to substitute Jonny Bairstow after the BCCI intervened following the umpires' refusal - correct, according to the Laws - to allow Bairstow to take over; later, play was delayed while a langur monkey bounded across the outfield before joining a female companion near the sightscreen.

Close of play: first day, England XI 408-3 (Bell 57, Patel 11); second day, Haryana 172-4 (Dewan 77, Sandeep Singh 2); third day, England XI 118-0 (Compton 54, Trott 61).