India Under-19s rack up 450 after Mhatre 102, Kundu 90

India Under-19s were on top after day one of their unofficial Test match against England Under-19s at Beckenham, reaching 450 for 7 at stumps.

The day was dominated by two huge partnerships: Ayush Mhatre and Vihaan Malhotra put on 173 for the second wicket, with Mhatre cashing in after being dropped twice to make 102 and Malhotra hitting 67.

Abhigyan Kundu then hit 90 and Rahul Kumar 85 in an even bigger stand of 179 for the fifth.

Alex Green, Archie Vaughan and Jack Home all took two wickets apiece, but England were left to rue four dropped catches.

India won the toss and chose to bat, but there was a major disappointment for the crowd when the 14-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi was out for just 14. He'd effortlessly glided the first delivery of the morning for four, lifting James Minto over the slip cordon, but then flashed at Green and was caught by Ralphie Albert at deep third.

Malhotra eased to 50 soon afterwards when he took two from Vaughan and Mhatre reached his hundred in style by striding down the wicket to the same bowler and hitting him for four over long off.

Vaughan then had Mhatre brilliantly caught on the boundary by Singh, who nearly collided with Albert and held on one-handed as he hit the ground.

Malhotra went seven balls later, when Green conjured a late away swinger that was caught behind. Vaughan then got Maulyarajsinh Chavda for 11, edging to Flintoff at first slip.

If three quick wickets seemed to have put England back in the game, Kundu and Kumar reasserted India's dominance. Kumar raced to 50 off just 43 balls and it was 289 for four at tea.

Kundu brought up his half-century when he drove Albert for four but Home got both set batters out in the 67th over. Kundu cut him to Vaughan at point when he was 10 shy of three figures and Kumar then edged him to the wicket-keeper Tom Rew.

This drastically slowed the run rate and Albert then had Mohamed Enaan lbw for 23. Home should have had a third wicket when Henil Patel, edged him to second slip, but Flintoff couldn't hold a slip-high catch. In the next over Green was thwarted when Denly put down RS Ambrish at first and eight overs were left unbowled when the 6.30 pm cut off was reached, adding to the authentic Test-match feel.

Mhatre was luckier. He was dropped by Rocky Flintoff when he was on six, after he got a thick edge to Minto and he reached 50 with an edged four through the vacant third slip area, again off Minto.

He was dropped again, this time when he was on 66, by Jaydn Denly, who was at first slip when Mhatre edged Denly's Kent team mate Ekansh Singh.