Tour blog - Rahul, Abhimanyu fifties help India A extend lead after Tongue hobbles off

Just as Chris Woakes approached the bowling crease, Dhruv Jurel pulled off. It was just the second ball he would have faced. The light was deteriorating and Abhimanyu Easwaran and Jurel seemed to suggest to the umpires that it was not easy to spot the ball. And so, off they go. There's still about an hour left, in case light improves but for now, the game hits another pause.

A new spell. A new end. A drinks interval. All of it worked for Chris Woakes, who struck on the fourth ball of the new spell. He bowled it on a length around off, Karun Nair was standing outside his crease with his weight going forward. Looked to defend but was squared up and edged it to second slip. India A 137 for 3, lead by 158

Second fifty of the tour for India A captain Abhimanyu Easwaran. He got there off the 68th ball. He has looked in good rhythm today after getting off the mark off his 15th delivery. He has put away anything on leg and middle through midwicket. He has taken a liking to Eddie Jack, scoring 23 off the 24 balls he has faced from the tall fast bowler.

KL Rahul completed his second fifty-plus score of the game with a shot that has been frequent today - the back-foot punch through backward point. Eddie Jack bowled one on a good length just outside off, Rahul went back to punch it with an open bat face. It's a shot he played twice against Josh Tongue, too, for fours. The half-century came at a good pace for him - 61 balls. But a few deliveries later, Jack managed to use his tall frame to his advantage. He dug one in and angled it into Rahul, who went for the pull. But the ball got big on him and he miscued it towards deep mid-on for 51 off 64. India A 99 for 2, a lead of 120.

Josh Tongue has hobbled off the field after his fourth over in the second innings at Northampton. He bowled his four overs for 27 after coming on as first-change. He struggled for control, with KL Rahul particularly hitting him for three overs in the spell. Tongue's injury, the seriousness of which is unknown, could be a minor concern for England. He has been named in the squad for the first Test against India, and alongside Chris Woakes, was added to the England Lions squad after he played the one-off four-day Test between England and Zimbabwe.

One punch after another after another. Abhimanyu Easwaran, who came in at No. 3 after Jaiswal departed early, got off the mark off his 15th delivery after being happy to leave the ball outside off. But three punches off Josh Tongue in the eighth over help him bag two boundaries, and then another three runs. The first went through cover point, the next towards point, and the third through extra cover. India A 31 for 1 after eight overs, with the lead at 52.

England Lions' new-ball bowlers Chris Woakes and George Hill kept Yashasvi Jaiswal guessing. They got the ball to move around as the India A opener was watchful. He got his first boundary in the opening over, when he opened the bat face to guide a Woakes ball through third. In the fourth over, though, Jaiswal's tentativeness cost him. Hill got a fullish ball to angle away and move away ever-so slightly. Jaiswal prodded forward to block but only managed a tickle behind. Jaiswal has 5 to go with his 17 in the first innings. India A 11 for 1.

Anshul Kamboj's hard work finally pays off. He lands a delivery on a length around off from around the stumps, gets it to nip away sharply past Eddie Jack's bat to take his off stump. The last-wicket pair for Lions stayed put for 84 balls, the third-longest partnership for them. The last two wickets defied the bowlers for a total of 161 balls. India A take a 21-run lead. That will also be tea. Worryingly for India A, though, their bowlers bowled 21 no-balls in the innings. Shardul Thakur topped the count with seven while Kamboj and Khaleel Ahmed followed with six each.

Josh Tongue and Eddie Jack have now stayed in the middle for over ten overs. In this period, all four of India A fast bowlers have had a go. Khaleel Ahmed worked hard to search for his fifth wicket. Nitish Kumar Reddy tried to build on his one wicket before the bad light stoppage. Shardul Thakur belted out a few lbw appeals only to be denied. Anshul Kamboj beat the outside edge a few times but with little success. Lions are 320 for 9, only trail by 28

India A captain Abhimanyu Easwaran wanted to bring back Khaleel Ahmed after England Lions lost their ninth wicket. Khaleel has four wickets in his kitty thus far. But the umpires seem to have told Abhimanyu that he could only bowl spin, because the light had faded. It had gone dark, the wind had picked up and the floodlights were switched on. So Tanush Kotian continued his spell. But two balls into the over, the players had to be taken off for bad lights. It looks quite ominous in Northampton - dark clouds, low light and windy conditions. Lions still trail by 67.

Nitish Kumar Reddy began proceedings for India A after lunch. In the third over after resumption, he managed to get a thick outside edge of Rehan Ahmed. But KL Rahul, at second slip, couldn't hold on despite diving to his right. Reddy, though, managed to get one back in the next over. Rehan once again went for the drive against a length ball on the fifth stump and this time, the edge flew straight into Rahul's bread basket. The ninth-wicket stand of 36 runs took 77 balls coming. That is the third-longest partnership in this Lions innings. And it has started to become quite dark, bringing light into the conversation. Lions are 279 for 9, still trailing India A by 69.

Five wickets in the first session for India A. Four of them from Khaleel Ahmed. The tourists will be pleased the way day three has gone thus far. Jordan Cox attacked early in the day but the first hour belonged to Khaleel, who tested the Lions batters. He had Cox caught behind, James Rew nicked one to first slip, George Hill was yorked for a first-ball blob and Chris Woakes was also caught behind going for an expansive drive. Lions slipped from 219 for 3 to 229 for 7 in under six overs. Once Tushar Deshpande sent back Max Holden, it looked like Lions would fold soon and concede a big lead to India A. But Josh Tongue and Farhan Ahmed have managed to bring down the deficit to 82.

Tushar Deshpande was brought on as first change after 13 overs on day three. He began from over the wicket and that did not cause trouble for the Lions batters. But in his second over, he caused a few indecisive moments for Max Holden, who fished at a few balls outside off. In Deshpande's third over of the day, he landed one on a length and got it to nip back in slightly. Holden once again hung his bat out at that but ended up chopping it on via the inside edge. Lions now 243 for 8, still 105 behind India A's first-innings total.

Chris Woakes saw off Khaleel Ahmed's hat-trick ball all right. But he couldn't hang on for long. Khaleel floated an away-going length ball in his next over. It was slightly fuller than good length, at 82.4mph, not at a driving length. But Woakes couldn't resist and went for it, only to get a nick behind. It went low to wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, who dived forward to his right to pouch it. Lions slide has been steady this morning, 229 for 7 now.

Pace, bounce and the edge - Khaleel Ahmed is making the right noises at the start of the third day. He gets one to angle in around on from a short-of-good-length, the ball jumps up from that length. James Rew is forced to play at it and is slightly turned inside out. The ball takes the outside edge and goes at a comfortable catching height to Karun Nair at first slip.

Against the new batter George Hill, Khaleel bowls the perfect yorker. Hill is very late to dig it out and loses his off stump. Looked like he was beaten for pace. Khaleel is off and running. Lions jolted early in the day.

Lions 223 for 6

The first 30 minutes at the start of any day is the trickiest for a batter. Jordan Cox and James Rew looked like doing their bit to see off the early period successfully. But Khaleel Ahmed's terrific short-of-good-length ball angling away from right-handers kisses the face of Cox's bat, and he has to go back for 45. It was the kind of delivery that would make any fan of classical left-arm bowling proud.

But the sun's now coming out and that means any available moisture could dry up very quickly. England Lions 219/4 in 51 overs.

We're back in Northampton after bad light ended the day early on Saturday evening. Slightly sunny right now at 11am local time, left-arm quick Khaleel Ahmed runs in to start the day with two slips, the ball is 46 overs old, with one set batter, Jordan Cox, and one new batter James Rew (the captain), out there. England Lions are 192 for 3, still 156 runs behind and two days to go. Let's get this day started...

Stumps England Lions 146 for 2 (Gay 71, Haines 54) trail India A 348 (Rahul 116, Jurel 52, Woakes 3-60, Hill 2-56) by 156 runs

It was a day dominated by the hosts who first wrapped up the India A tail for not much and then reached 192 or 3 at stumps, trailing the visitors by 156 runs. Emilio Gay top scored for the hosts, finishing on 71 while Tom Haines continued his good form and scored another fifty. Jordan Cox remained unbeaten on 31 and had James Rew for company on 0. Bad light forced an early end to the day's play. For India A, the bowlers were good in patches, but failed to be consistent. Anshul Kamboj picked 1 for 31, while Deshpande and Kotian also managed a wicket each.

Tanush Kotian breaks the 69-run stand between Emilio Gay and Jordan Cox, trapping Gay in front of the stumps. It was a flatter length delivery that skidded quickly and struck Gay in front of middle and leg. Kotian was up in a jiffy and the umpire agreed. This is a timely wicket for India A with the Lions looking rather solid. There was also not a lot of swing or movement for the bowlers and the game was slowly drifting away from the visitors. Captain James Rew is the new batter in. He can only play five deliveries before the light meters are out. Both umpires converge and off go the players for bad light. It looks rather dark at the moment.

Fifty for Emilio Gay, a 16th first-class fifty for the left-hander. He has looked solid all through as he follows up a 46 in the first match with an unbeaten half-century. He's largely looked fluent, and only seemed a bit troubled with the around the wicket angle from Anshul Kamboj and Shardul Thakur. Gets to his fifty off 88 balls with a stunning straight on-drive off Tanush Kotian. Lions have looked busy since the tea break with Jordan Cox also finding a few fours. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Kotian are currently in tandem. Lions reach 176 for 2 after 39 overs, trailing India A 172 runs.

Tea England Lions 146 for 2 (Haines 54, Gay 46*, Kamboj 1-38) trail India A 348 (Rahul 116, Jurel 52, Woakes 3-60, Hill 2-56) by 202 runs

The thick clouds overhead have opened up and it's started drizzling. They have taken an early Tea on day two in Northampton, where England Lions trail India A by 202 runs. It was an excellent session for the hosts, who added 88 runs in 17 overs for the loss of a solitary wicket. Tom Haines continued his stellar form, scoring 54 off 88 balls with nine fours. He fell soon after the drinks break before tea, edging to Jurel.

Emilio Gay also looked solid and goes into the tea break unbeaten on 46. Gay was struck on the helmet by a Khaleel Ahmed bouncer but has looked solid otherwise. Deshpande picked the key wicket of Haines but has been expensive, going for 44 runs in his eight overs.

And just like that, he departs. Deshpande, the wicket-taker, just after the drinks break. It was a fuller-length ball outside off stump that moved ever so late. Haines prods half-forward, without moving his feet much. He only manages a thick outside edge and Jurel takes a simple catch. A timely break for India A and Deshpande.

Tom Haines raised a solid century in the first unofficial Test and has followed it up with another fifty in Northampton. He's moved quickly after lunch and has easily looked the most fluent of the Lions batters on show today. Reaches his fifty with a streaky four past the slips, but it's otherwise been a fairly untroubled knock.

Haines moved through the 40s with back-to-back fours against Deshpande and gets to his fifty with a thick outside edge that flies to the left of second slip. Gay has also started briskly after the break. Lions have already added 65 runs in 11 overs since the lunch break without losing a wicket. They are currently going at 4.56 runs an over and are trailing India A by 225 runs.

Haines and Gay have been solid after the break, with both batters ticking the scoreboard regularly. Shardul Thakur bowled an eventful first over after lunch, which had two no-balls and a dropped chance. Haines pushed back a fuller-length delivery towards Thakur, who failed to latch onto a relatively tough chance. Gay found a flourishing four against Khaleel before Haines struck another solid one off Thakur. Thakur, who has bowled five no-balls already in his five overs, tried the around-the-wicket angle as well but to no avail.

The only time Gay looked troubled was when Khaleel struck the side of his head with a sharp bumper. Gay took his eyes away from the ball and visibly looked flustered. He continued after a longish concussion check. It has meanwhile become quite dark in Northampton. The forecast is for some rain around 2.30pm local time.

Lunch England Lions 58 for 1 (Haines 28, Kamboj 1-13) trail India A 348 (Rahul 116, Jurel 52, Woakes 3-60, Hill 2-56) by 290 runs

The India A bowlers toiled but the England Lions top-order kept them at bay on the second afternoon in Northampton. After India A were bowled out for 348, Lions went into lunch on 58 for 1, trailing the visitors by 290 runs.

The day started with Josh Tongue removing the overnight batters Tanush Kotian and Anshul Kamboj early. Khaleel Ahmed and Tushar Deshpande hung around taking India A close to 350 but a direct hit from Tongue stopped them two runs short.

In reply, Tom Haines, the centurion from the first unofficial Test, looked the most compact in conditions where the ball swung around for both Khaleel and Kamboj. But the bowlers were either too wide outside off or too straight as Haines and McKinney kept the scoreboard ticking. While Khaleel bowled three overs, Kamboj had an extended spell.

It was the around-the-wicket angle that worked for Kamboj, who got a lot more false shots drawn and beat the bat a number of times; at one point four in a row against Haines. He had a regulation catch put down at backward point but kept at it and two balls later had McKinney caught behind. Kamboj bowled a long spell of six overs and easily looked the best bowler for the visitors.

Haines, however, looked solid as he went into lunch 28 not out and had Emilio Gay for company on 3.

Anshul Kamboj had the chance to get his first wicket, but there is a fairly regulation chance shelled at backward point. It was a short and wide delivery that really should have been put away but McKinney cut that straight to the fielder, who signalled that he didn't see the ball clearly.

But as it turns out, the drop didn't cost India A anything as Kamboj struck two balls later. From around the wicket, he got the ball to tail away late outside off. McKinney hung his bat out, got a thin edge and Jurel took a good catch low to his left.

Emilio Gay walks in at No. 3.

It's been a largely steady start from the two England Lions openers, Tom Haines and Ben McKinney in conditions where the ball has swung around a fair deal. Both Khaleel Ahmed and Anshul Kamboj have largely been frugal but haven't often asked the right kind of questions, either being two wide outside off or too straight.

Haines, the centurion from the first game, started with a delightful cover drive against Khaleel while McKinney struck back-to-back fours against Khaleel soon after. Both bowlers have found plenty of swing and might want to target the wickets. Dhruv Jurel, the wicketkeeper, has had to put in a fair shift already with the ball wobbling all around.

Tushar Deshpande has been brought into the attack as first change after six overs.

England Lions wasted little time in wrapping up the India A innings on the second morning in Northampton. Josh Tongue was involved in all three wickets to fall. He first got rid of the overnight batters Tanush Kotian and Anshul Kamboj before nailing a direct hit that found Tushar Deshpande short of his crease.

Tongue took all of six balls to strike on the second morning. Kotian came out with intent as he struck back-to-back fours against Tongue, but it was this intent that cost him, eventually. Tongue got a length ball to angle into Kotian sharply from over the wicket. The India A No. 8 went for an expansive drive, missed and saw his stumps in a mess.

Then, on the fourth ball of his next over, he had Kamboj trapped right in front of the stumps. It was a length ball that decked in sharply from outside off and pinned Kamboj in front of off and middle stump. Kamboj almost walked as soon as the appeal was made and the umpire's finger went up in a jiffy.

Nos. 10 and 11, Deshpande and Khaleel Ahmed, showed resistance while also wafting their bats around to take India A close to the 350-mark. But a direct hit from Tongue closed the innings. Khaleel, backing away to a short of a length ball was hit on the midriff with the ball lobbing close to him on the offside. Deshpande sprinted down the track for a run but Khaleel was going nowhere. Tongue saw his chance, picked the ball, and in one swift motion turned and nailed a direct hit at the non-striker's end. Deshpande was found just short.

The focus will now swiftly turn to the India A bowlers, Khaleel, Deshpande and Kamboj. The conditions are ripe for swing bowling and they will want to make an early impression.

The first day of the second unofficial Test belonged to KL Rahul, who scored 116 in what was an innings marked by patience and grit in tough conditions. Dhruv Jurel also strengthened his case with a third straight half-century, while Chris Woakes picked three wickets. If you missed any of the action, Nagraj Gollapudi has you covered with his day one report.

What to look forward to from day two? England Lions will look to wrap up the innings as soon as possible. Tanush Kotian and Anshul Kamboj will, meanwhile, want to take India A to at least 350. Let's see what day two from Northampton has in store.

The day comes to a close with India A on 319 for 7. KL Rahul, opening alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, played out a probing opening spell from Chris Woakes to score a chanceless 116, with his first real misjudgement leading to his dismissal. Facing two of the bowlers who could feauture in the opening Test, Rahul will be happy with that performance.

While Karun Nair followed up on his double-century from the first unofficial Test with a 40, Dhruv Jurel was the other standout performer for India A as he registered his third consecutive half-century on tour. He made 52 and formed a 121-run stand with Rahul, before both of them were dismissed by George Hill.

For England Lions, Woakes was the star, dismissing Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran and Nair.

Shortly after play resumes, Nitish Kumar Reddy, who had started watchfully, decides to counterattack. He gets two back-to-back boundaries off Tom Haines before going 4, 2, 4 against Farhan Ahmed. The flurry of hits takes India A past 300.

However, not long after, Reddy is knocked over by Haines for 34 off 56. India A are 314 for 7.

For a more detailed report, check out Nagraj Gollapudi's day wrap.

The rain has stopped and umpires have inspected the pitch. Play will resume at 18.15 local time, which is about eight minutes from now. Play will stretch to 19.20 local. It was originally scheduled to be played till 18.59 local.

Farhan Ahmed gets his wicket as he traps Shardul Thakur lbw. Thakur looked to sweep and missed, but was unhappy with the decision. He walks off for 19 off 34, with Tanush Kotian joining Nitish Kumar Reddy at the crease.

Reddy has been watchful, batting on 9 off 34. Meanwhile, the floodlights are on with the skies getting darker.

However, rain returns, forcing the players off the field, with covers coming on.

Nagraj Gollapudi writes on Rahul's century (with an update on his dismissal):

In 2021 KL Rahul stared the England tour with a century in the warm-up match against County Select XI. Though that ton had come in the middle order, Rahul would open with Rohit Sharma and play a significant role in India’s success across the first two Tests including getting his name on the Honors Board at Lord’s where he won the Player-of-the-Match award for his first-innings century.

Four years later, Rahul has once again started another England tour with a century. This time he did walk out as a regular opener, a postion he is expected to perform in across the five-Test series. Having worked out the modus operandi of how to bat under overcast and seaming conditions against a wobbly Dukes ball, Rahul was unruffled through day as he raised his bat late afternoon to a chanceless century. Playing late, keeping the bat close to the body, meeting the ball under the eye, not rushing into strokes – all these are the nuts and bolts of Rahul the Test batter – home or away, seaming or spinning pitches. Cover drives and pulls were the standout strokes for Rahul, who also played with soft hands to steer, flick, glance to thwart every Lions bowler.

But there is no respite for a batter in seaming English conditions. Rahul understands that better than any batter in the Indian squad having been sucked in to making errors during the latter part of the 2021 series. Having looked so much in command, he was tempted by Hill to lunge at a length delivery that was seaming away – Rahul’s mistake, playing away from the body as the thick outside edge went straight to the hands of the second slip. Rahul cursed himself instantly knowing all the hard work of 273 minutes was nullified by the first lapse in his concentration.

Oh, dear. KL Rahul steers George Hill fine on the off side for a boundary that was easy on the eyes but then goes driving after a full ball outside the off stump and gets a thick edge that was snaffled up at second slip. Rahul falls for 116 as Hill removes both set batters in the space of three deliveries.

Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shardul Thakur at the crease now.

A length ball seams in from outside off and goes through the gap between Dhruv Jurel's bat and pad as he defends down the wrong line. It's a first wicket in the match for George Hill.

Jurel's scores in the two unofficial Tests so far read: 94, 53*, 52

KL Rahul racked up a century shortly after the tea break. He glanced Chris Woakes down the leg side to move to 99 before a single brought up the landmark. Dhruv Jurel, who began the session with back-to-back boundaries off Woakes, hit George Hill for another boundary to bring up his half-century off 66 balls. This is Jurel's third consecutive fifty over the two unofficial Tests.

Tea India A 213 for 3 (Rahul 93*, Jurel 37*, Nair 40, Woakes 3-30) vs England Lions

Chris Woakes picked up a third wicket by trapping Karun Nair lbw, but the second session in Northampton belonged to KL Rahul, who has moved within seven runs of a century. Rahul hit 12 fours and a six, picking up tempo after being watchful until he got to his half-century.

When 17-year-old Farhan Ahmed, brother of England legspinner Rehan, was introduced into the attack, Rahul went after him, hitting him for a four down and then the only six of the match so far.

Dhruv Jurel, at the other end, has also ticked along nicely with four boundaries en route to 37 off 60, with the fourth-wicket partnership at 87, just one run more than the previous stand, between Rahul and Nair. Jurel is carrying on the good form from the first unofficial Test, where he scored 94 and 53 not out.

For England Lions, Woakes' good performance will be a major boost as he is set to be part of the attack in the first Test in Leeds. Woakes trapped Yashasvi Jaiswal and Abhimanyu Easwaran lbw in the first session, and in his second spell after lunch, consigned Nair to the same fate, 10 runs short of a fifty.

Here's what Nagraj Gollapudi, who is at the ground, has to say about Karun Nair's innings today:

Before flying to London on Thursday, India head coach Gautam Gambhir gave a strong pat on the back to Karun Nair, praising the former Karnataka captain, who currently plays for Vidarbha, for carrying the flag for domestic cricket. Gambhir also said that Nair’s experience would come in handy and if he was selected during the England Test series he would get a long run. Nair earned such a flying endorsement on the back of his double century in Canterbury. Today Nair once again quickly adapted to the conditions which are familiar to him having played last year for Northamptonshire in county cricket.

After a quiet start, Nair picked some easy runs encashing scoring opportunities especially post lunch when Woakes and Tongue offered him width and driveable lengths. However Nair was tested by the movement Woakes got in his second spell after lunch when he moved to the David Capel End (previously called Wantage Road). Woakes also shifted the third slip closer to the gully, sensing Nair’s keenness to score past point against wide deliveries and anything remotely fuller on the off stump. Nair became fidgety on scrutiny as Woakes nearly induced an outside edge with late seam movement.

Next delivery Woakes rapped the back pad of Nair who might have felt a bit disappointed after the umpire upheld the lbw appeal thinking the ball might have missed the leg stump considering the England seamer had delivered from wide of the crease. Nair shook his head, but he would also be happy to take the learnings which would come handy as the opening Test draws closer.

KL Rahul is enjoying a good start to his tour of England, with a half-century in his first innings. He gets to his fifty off 102 deliveries and four balls later laces a gorgeous cover drive for a boundary off fast bowler George Hill.

An 86-run stand for India A is broken by Chris Woakes, who gets his third lbw victim by trapping Karun Nair in front. It was a perfect riposte after Nair hit him for a boundary that took him to 40. KL Rahul, meanwhile, is closing in on a half-century, unbeaten on 47. He is joined at the crease by Dhruv Jurel who is quick to get off the mark with a brace.

Picked in the squad for the first Test, Woakes will be happy with the wickets of three batters who are part of India's squad. While Abhimanyu Easwaran is unlikely to be in India's XI, Yashasvi Jaiswal is certain to open and Nair, making a comeback, has bolstered his chances of getting picked in the middle order with his double-century in the first unofficial Test.

Lunch India A 75 for 2 (Rahul 26*, Jaiswal 17, Woakes 2-8) vs England Lions

The ball swung around in conditions primed for swing bowling and Chris Woakes made full use of it, getting rid of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Abhimanyu Easwaran relatively early on the opening day. Jaiswal fell on 17 off 26 balls to a full-length ball that swung into him sharply, while the India A captain was trapped plumb in front soon after. Rain also made an appearance, and briefly halted play for about 25 minutes. Despite the conditions ripe for swing bowling, KL Rahul, back in the team for the second unofficial Test, showed good technique. He was patient, left the ball well and rotated the strike whenever the opportunity rose. At lunch, Rahul was unbeaten on 26 off 58 balls with three fours. With him was his former Karnataka team-mate Karun Nair, who showed his wares against the moving ball as he went to lunch unbeaten on 16. For Lions, Woakes picked both wickets to fall so far, conceding just eight runs in his six overs with three maidens.

Nagraj Gollapudi has just pinged that the rain has relented and the teams are coming back to the middle. We should see some play pretty soon. It could be a tricky few minutes for the two India A batters, KL Rahul and Karun Nair, who will have to start afresh.

From Nagraj Gollapudi: Having avoided getting out for a duck, Abhimanyu Easwaran, the India A captain, couldn’t utilise the opportunity for long. Woakes and Tongue put Easwaran under constant scrutiny, attacking his stumps. He was getting opened up with his head falling away as he tried to defend, but was soon defeated by the classic Woakes trick. Coming from slightly wider of the crease, Woakes pitched on a good length, a delivery Easwaran might have felt would go down leg but instead seamed into his front pad upon pitching and catching him plumb in front of the stumps. This is the second failure for Easwaran in three innings so far in the last week, having gotten out lbw in the first innings in Canterbury for a single-digit score.

A shower almost out of nowhere and off go the players, ducking for cover. The hovercraft is out as well. It started as a mild shower, but the intensity has increased. The pitch is firmly under the covers now. And, just as I typed that, Nagraj has sent in an update that play could get underway soon as the rain has stopped and the groundsmen are getting ready to move the hover cover off the pitch

Nagraj Gollapudi is set in nice and early in Northampton and sends this in: Overcast conditions. Seam. Dukes swinging. All those factors make cricket in the English summer unique and challenging. Yashasvai Jaiswal got easy runs, including a second-innings half century on a benign surface in the first unofficial Test in Canterbury last week. Early on Friday, the Indian left-hander showed that the green and seaming pitch under cloudy skies in Northampton was not going to deter his drive to go for runs. A long hop from Josh Tongue, who was sharing the new ball with fellow England team-mate Chris Woakes, was slapped for four.

However, on 11, Jaiswal nearly paid the price for going out swinging his blade at a slightly fuller delivery from Woakes that was angling away. Jaiswal, thinking it was within his stride, attempted to drive without moving closer to the pitch of the delivery and wafted at empty air but was lucky to get away. But Jaiswal is not the brooding kind. In the very next over, Tongue overpitched on his legs and Jaiswal flicked him for an easy four. Tongue responded well by darting an 85mph yorker, which the Indian opener was alert to and dug out well.

However, Woakes, who was bowling from the Lyn Wilson Centre end, was posing several questions as he found his rhythm straightaway from the first delivery. In his fourth over, he swung the ball into Jaiswal’s pad, and Woakes’ convincing appeal got the nod from the umpire.

Jaiswal couldn’t believe he was out, probably suspecting the ball was never going to hit the leg stump. There could've been another jolt for India A had George Hill, at second slip, not made a mess of a simple catch the very next ball after Abhimanyu Easwaran went chasing a fuller-length away seaming delivery.

Hello and welcome to the second unofficial Test between India A and England Lions, which will be played in Northampton. The first game in Canterbury ended in a draw but there were some positives for India A, particularly for the batters. Karun Nair strengthened his case with a classy double ton in the first innings, while Dhruv Jurel struck twin fifties as both teams piled on the runs on a flat surface.

What to expect from the second game? England Lions have won the toss and will field. The match is set to start on time. For India, KL Rahul is back and will open the batting with Yashasvi Jaiswal. In the bowling unit, Tanush Kotian, and Khaleel Ahmed, so is Tushar Deshpande in place of Mukesh. Chris Woakes, meanwhile, has the new ball for Lions as he bowls to Jaiswal. Lions have also brought in pacer Josh Tongue for this game, who will share the new ball with Woakes.

England Lions 1 Tom Haines, 2 Ben McKinney, 3 Emilio Gay, 4 Jordan Cox, 5 James Rew (capt and wk), 6 Max Holden, 7 George Hill, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Farhan Ahmed, 10 Josh Tongue, 11 Eddie Jack

India A 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 KL Rahul, 3 Abhimanyu Easwaran (capt), 4 Karun Nair, 5 Dhruv Jurel (wk), 6 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 7 Shardul Thakur, 8 Tanush Kotian, 9 Tushar Deshpande, 10 Anshul Kamboj, 11 Khaleel Ahmed

KL Rahul will open with Yashasvi Jaiswal in the second unofficial Test between England Lions and India A, which starts in Northampton from Friday. While Rahul will replace Sarfaraz Khan, India A will have two changes to the bowling attack that played the first Test in Canterbury: Left-arm fast bowler Khaleel Ahmed replaces Harshit Rana while Mumbai off spinning allrounder Tanush Kotian will take the place of Harsh Dubey.

The batting order will also see a minor shuffle with Abhimanyu Easwaran likely to bat at one-down and Karun Nair, who scored a double century in the first innings in Canterbury, expected to bat at 4.

India A (likely XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Abhimanyu Easwaran (captain), Karun Nair, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shardul Thakur, Tanush Kotian, Mukesh Kumar, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed

Like the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia, and the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy between England and New Zealand, the Test series between England and India will now be played for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, honouring Sachin Tendulkar and James Anderson.

For more details, click here.

India have not yet decided which Tests in the upcoming five-match series in England Jasprit Bumrah will play, but captain Shubman Gill and coach Gautam Gambhir were confident the depth of their pace attack would make up for his likely absence.

Read the full story here.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting feels that India's new Test captain Shubman Gill needs to work on his batting in the longest format, where he now has the added responsibility of leading the side. Gill, who averages 35.05 after 32 Tests, is set to start his captaincy stint with the first Test against England from June 20 at Headingley.

"His white-ball form has been incredibly good. He's got a little bit of work to do on his Test match batting," Ponting told PTI. "And that's never easy when you're a new captain - to have to worry about your batting to the degree that he's going to have to, it won't be easy for him."

Ponting feels Gill also has work to do on the mental side of Test-match batting. "...it's a bit both. There's some of the great Test players that haven't had great defensive games – [Virender] Sehwag is probably a great example of that,” he said. "But if you're in control of your strokeplay, you don't have to worry too much about your defence. I mean, obviously it's a big part of Test match cricket, but I think it's more his mental application.”

Ponting said he sees no technical fault in Gill's defence, just that he undergoes some phases of play where he needs better concentration. “I think sometimes you might just get a little bit either ahead of himself or a little bit lazy in the middle of a Test-match innings. You can't afford to do that. You've got to be 100% committed to every ball that you face through six or seven hours of every day... I think that's the challenge for Shubman.”

Virat Kohli’s retirement from Tests has left the No. 4 spot vacant for India. Ponting believes Gill can move down one place to occupy that slot, even as he had started as an opener in Tests before shifting to No. 3.

"...the reason I did that was if they go with [Yashasvi] Jaiswal - and if Sai Sudharsan is the other opener - they need someone a bit more experienced at No. 3,” Ponting said. “So that could be either KL [Rahul] at three, or that could be a Karun Nair at three and Shubman at four… once you grow into it, then you can move yourself back up to that No. 3 spot."

Jamie Overton has been handed a surprise recall to England's squad for the first Test against India after his Surrey team-mate Gus Atkinson was ruled out with a hamstring strain. Jacob Bethell's return to the squad creates a top-order selection headache, while Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse are both back after missing England's win over Zimbabwe with niggles.

With Mark Wood (knee) ruled out, Jofra Archer (thumb) unavailable for the start of the series and now Gus Atkinson (hamstring) unlikely for the first Test, England need some fast-bowling resources for the series opener.

That's why they've called up Josh Tongue and Chris Woakes for the England Lions' second unofficial Test against India A in Northampton that starts on Friday.

Tongue played against Zimbabwe in England's innings win at Trent Bridge while Woakes took six wickets for Warwickshire in his own return from an ankle injury. If they're selected for the Test squad, the pair will be competing for spots in the seam attack with Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts and Sam Cook.

After opening in the recent ODIs against West Indies, England batter Jamie Smith is looking ahead to the Test series against India - still over two weeks away - although he has a break in between. Smith won't be featuring in the T20Is, being replaced by Phil Salt at the top, and will prepare straight for the opening India Test from June 20. He, meanwhile, does not plan to watch too many videos of Jasprit Bumrah bowling.

"Hopefully, down at No. 7, I can watch other lads go and face him first," Smith said. "[He is] certainly a challenge there.

"I feel good. Hopefully, the next 10 days or so can go well, prep-wise, and we can head into [the] India [series] quite fresh, which is amazing."

Read the full story here.

Gus Atkinson has emerged as a doubt for the first Test against India on June 20 as he recovers from a hamstring strain sustained against Zimbabwe.

Atkinson, who has taken 55 wickets at 22.30 in his first 12 Tests, was ruled out of England’s ongoing ODI series against West Indies after suffering the injury in Nottingham. England initially insisted that he would recover in time for the first Test against India in Leeds, but he is now expected to be held back until the second.

The Telegraph reported on Tuesday that Atkinson is a doubt for the first Test as he continues his recovery from the injury. The ECB declined to comment but ESPNcricinfo has learned that he is unlikely to feature in their squad for the first Test, which is expected to be named later this week.

Atkinson’s absence leaves England’s seam-bowling resources depleted, with Mark Wood (knee) out of the series and Jofra Archer (thumb) unlikely to be match-fit until the second or third Test. Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse should both be available after recent injuries, along with Matthew Potts, Sam Cook and Josh Tongue.

Shubman Gill, India's new Test captain, and Sai Sudharsan were named in the India A squad for the second unofficial Test. But after wrapping up Gujarat Titans' IPL 2025 campaign, they are slated to miss the practice game against England Lions. KL Rahul, instead, is slated to link up with India A today and play the match starting June 6.

Nagraj Gollapudi has details on this.

Abhimanyu Easwaran and Yashasvi Jaiswal made merry after Lions took a 30-run lead. They attacked against the new ball. They added 123 together for the opening stand. But Abhimanyu will feel he missed out to notch up a first-class century after he fell in an attempt to reverse legspinner Rehan Ahmed. Dhruv Jurel and Nitish Kumar Reddy also struck aggressive fifties.

Click here for the full fourth day's wrap.

"I feel like we held our own and had some great performances," Lions captain James Rew told the ECB Reporters Network. "That was a big step up from county cricket and for some boys to have experienced that for the first time. A lot of those players have played a lot of test cricket so it was good to go up against them and try and get them out and be tested at the highest level. It’ll put us in good stead."

Nitish Kumar Reddy finally has a wicket. He has admitted that his bowling needs work and English conditions might help him in that regard as India prepare for a mammoth five-Test series coming in very quick time. His first hit out in this practice game, though, had him going at 4.24 an over and the only wicket that came his way was of the England Lions No. 10 Josh Hull.

The final day’s play started to a virtual pin-drop silence at St Lawrence Ground with the England Lions 30 behind India A’s first-innings 557. The visitors’ bowlers laboured across Sunday, but a docile and slow pitch denied them much joy as Tom Haines, Max Holden and Dan Mousely scored big.

Shardul Thakur was more probing early on and trapped Zaman Akhter leg 15 minutes into the morning. That was Thakur’s second wicket of the match. While the numbers for both him and Nitish Kumar Reddy have not been impressive, both allrounders would be content with getting decent bowling time as they get serious with the preparation as they approach the first Test of the England series starting from June 20.

India A travel to Northampton for the second unofficial Test against Lions, followed by an intra-squad match in Beckenham between India A and Indians from June 13.

A fine knock from Dan Mousley comes to an end. It is the part-timer Karun Nair, who traps him lbw with his offspin. Mousley went back to a length ball that skidded on and hit his back leg adjacent to the stumps. That also brought an end to his seventh-wicket partnership worth 108 off 148 balls with Zaman Akhter.

With India A bowlers tiring, Zaman also collected a few runs, hitting four fours and a six in his unbeaten 38. England Lions end the day on 527 for 7, 30 shy of India A's first-innings total of 557.

Click here for the full report.

Dan Mousley has notched up his maiden hundred in first-class cricket. He gets to the mark in 146 balls and celebrates by taking off his helmet and raising it towards the team dugout with an exult. Mukesh strayed on the pads from around the wicket, Mousley flicked it through midwicket for a boundary. He has been so good against pace and spin, even when Harsh Dubey was going through a wonderful spell. Mousley used the sweep to good effect as also the crease to go deep and explore the off side.

India A could have hoped to run through the Lions' lower order after Shardul Thakur dismissed Tom Haines. But Dan Mousley has proved to be an immovable object in the middle. He has looked solid against pace and spin. Harshit Rana troubled him with away-angling balls in the over after drinks but Mousley has continued to be steady. Lions' deficit has now come below 100 with Zaman Akhter also increasing in confidence

Mumbai boys Shardul Thakur and Sarfaraz Khan combine to end Tom Haines' stay in the middle. Thakur bowled a length ball around off, just outside perhaps. The length is not really full enough for the drive but not short enough to dissuade Haines from going for it. He did and it took the outside edge and seemed to pass Sarfaraz at wide first slip. But he dives to his left, his wrong side, and takes a blinder. Like Thakur did the last time on the England tour, he produces a wicket out of nowhere. That also ends the 93-run stand between Haines and Dan Mousley.

A solid session for England Lions. A wicketless one. Tom Haines extended his total and helped Lions reduce the deficit. He already has scores of 141 and 174 in this season and he is on 167 not out at tea. For the record, they have avoided the follow-on. Dan Mousley gave him company and is two shy of a half-century. There was a moment of strife for him when Mukesh seemed to have trapped him in front. Almost a repeat of the James Rew dismissal. But the umpire ruled it not out.

Tom Haines crosses 150. Off the 232nd ball he faced. He spent quite some time in the 140s. He took 16 balls to move from 144 to 150. A total of 24 balls for the eight runs to get to 150.

India A opted to take the second new ball in the 83rd over. And since then, Dubey has been taken off the attack. That has allows Haines and Mousley bat comfortably. Anshul Kamboj and Harshit Rana made first use of the second new ball but perhaps bowled slightly shorter than they would have liked.

Harsh Dubey is going through a superb spell. He is getting the ball to grip and spin from the rough outside the left-handers' off stump. Both Haines and Mousley are very cautious in playing him. There were at least two occasions when Haines' inside edge fell just away from Jaiswal at short leg.

Dubey has also varied his flight and in his 18th over, he decided to go around the stump to the left-handers. That resulted in Mousley getting a leading edge towards the bowler. No wicket to show for his efforts today, though. Six overs so far in his spell today, he has gone for 22.

Mukesh has now struck thrice in his last four overs. After having Holden caught behind, Mukesh trapped Lions captain James Rew lbw. He troubled Rew for a few balls before his dismissal, the left-hand batter often getting turned inside out due to the late movement generated by Mukesh. But the ball that got him was a length ball angling in that he missed flicking.

In the next over, Mukesh had Rehan Ahmed, who has two hundreds in the County Championship this season batting in the top order, caught at second slip. Rehan went hard at the length ball only to edge it to Sarfaraz, who caught it to his left. It hit him hard and he was seen wringing his left hand in pain after the catch.

After the first hour belonged to the overnight batters Haines and Holden, India A have come roaring back in the second half, thanks to Mukesh.

Max Holden completes his century in just 99 balls. He has continued to attack the India A bowlers, adding four more fours to his tally this morning. He tucks Thakur off his pads towards fine leg to get to the hundred. He has largely batted untroubled through the morning, complicating matters for India A.

Holden is continuing his good run of form in the current domestic season. He began the County Championship for Middlesex with a half-century and a 184-run knock against Lancashire at Lord's, following it with a century against Glamorgan one game later.

Mukesh Kumar finally gets the breakthrough and ends Holden's stay for a run-a-ball 101. He comes in from around the wicket and lands it on a length on the fourth stump. Even a set Holden is forced to play at it and only manages to nick it behind. That ends the third-wicket stand between Holden and Haines on 181 off 210 balls.

Delhi Capitals may have missed out of the IPL 2025 playoffs. But finisher Ashutosh Sharma had a good season - 204 runs at a strike rate of 160.82. That would have been the end of season for him generally but he's flown down to the United Kingdom to play club cricket and boy, has that started well! Ashutosh smashed a 70-ball hundred for Wigan Cricket Club hours after landing in the UK. That earned some praise from Kevin Pietersen, mentor at DC this season. Just for the record, Ashutosh is not part of any of the India squad for the A series against Lions or the Tests against England.

Overnight batters Haines and Holden have look largely untroubled in the first hour. They have added 38 runs in the ten overs thus far. Sign of things to come for India A bowlers today?

Holden has been the aggressor so far. He has cashed on any width given to him, hitting two fours in a Harshit Rana over. Rana and Kamboj began proceedings for India A today. Lions are 275 for 2 in 62 overs.

Karun Nair showed patience, composure and solid defensive technique during his 435-minute stay that lasted 281 balls as the runs came at a decent clip. As he walked back with the Lions players rushing to congratulate him, and the 1700-plus crowd giving him a standing ovation, Nair would think he had put himself in position to stake a claim for a slot in the India batting order for the first Test against England in Leeds, starting June 20.

Tom Haines has his 15th first-class century and one that he is likely to remember for a while. A solid knock against a bowling attack of international repute. He has looked measured, struck the ball cleanly and gets to his ton with a couple of runs against Shardul Thakur, reaching the milestone off 138 balls. Haines struck 11 fours during his innings. Max Holden at the other end is meanwhile going at better than a run-a-ball. As the second day comes to a close, he remains unbeaten on 64 off 61 balls, his innings studded with eight fours and a six. Holden and Haines have stitched an unbroken 106-run stand for the third wicket which came off 118 balls. England Lions still trail by a mammoth 320 runs, but the duo will hope to close the gap on day three.

From Nagraj Gollapudi: With the pitch becoming more and more batting-friendly, Haines and Gay were scoring at a fair clip. No bowler was able to apply pressure, including the left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey, who had a record haul of wickets in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25. Haines had spanked a pull against a short delivery from Kamboj to reach his fifty, and the second-wicket partnership had crossed the 100-run mark. But just then Gay, on 46, having swept Dubey for an easy four, attempted another sweep against a ball that pitched well outside his off stump. He got an inside-edge that ballooned off the lower half of his foot to Sarfaraz at slip.