Bat continued to dominate ball on Day 2 of the unofficial Test between India A and the England Lions at Canterbury, as Tom Haines’s unbeaten century led a composed response to Karun Nair’s commanding 204.
After posting a mammoth 557 in the first innings, India A’s bowlers faced a disciplined counterattack from the home side, with the Lions finishing the day on 237/2, still trailing by 320 but with momentum on their side.
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🔥 Nair’s Marathon Ends, Jurel Falls Short of Hundred
Resuming on 409/3, India A showed clear intent to accelerate. Dhruv Jurel, eyeing a deserved century, fell for 94—falling prey to a sharp setup from Ajeet Dale who mixed his lengths smartly. Jurel’s dismissal came just as India were looking to increase the scoring tempo.
At the other end, Karun Nair calmly accumulated runs despite a brief lull in strike. His 204 came off 281 balls, capped by a signature pull to fine leg. The right-hander was eventually undone by Zaman Akhter, who got one to jag back in, clipping the inside edge.
Even after Nair’s departure at 479/6, the lower-order chipped in. Shardul Thakur (27) and Harsh Dubey (32)* ensured India crossed the 550 mark, with the team bowled out for 557 shortly into the second session. Both Akhter and Josh Hull returned respectable figures with three wickets each.
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🏏 England Lions Find Their Feet with Haines, Gay, Holden
India A made a promising start with the ball, as Anshul Kamboj delivered a near-perfect opening spell, giving away just six runs in five overs and castling Ben McKinney with a beauty that clipped the top of off.
But from there, the hosts settled. Emiliano Gay, despite a shaky start, capitalized on inconsistent lines—particularly from Mukesh Kumar, whose around-the-wicket angle to the left-hander proved ineffective.
Gay and Tom Haines stitched a vital 109-run stand, with the left-handers taking a particular liking to Harsh Dubey’s left-arm spin, executing sweeps with clinical precision. Gay’s innings ended in slightly unlucky fashion—top-edging a sweep onto his boot and into the hands of first slip.
His dismissal did little to slow the pace, though. Max Holden arrived with purpose, pulling Nitish Reddy for a six en route to a rapid half-century. India’s bowling lacked consistency, with neither Reddy nor Dubey able to build pressure.
Haines, meanwhile, remained rock-solid. Despite being dropped twice—once by Yashasvi Jaiswal in the slips on 11, and then by Abhimanyu Easwaran at point on 83—the left-hander brought up his 15th first-class hundred just before Stumps, ending the day unbeaten on 103.
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🧠 Day 2 Takeaways
Karun Nair reaffirmed his red-ball credentials with a fluent double hundred, positioning himself as a strong contender for India’s Test middle-order.
Tom Haines displayed maturity and composure, offering England Lions a platform to chase down or at least match India A’s mammoth total.
India A’s bowlers, despite early promise from Kamboj, lacked the control and penetration needed on a flat surface, highlighting the need for a more disciplined approach on Day 3.
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📊 Brief Scores
India A – 557 all out
(Karun Nair 204, Dhruv Jurel 94, Sarfaraz Khan 92; Josh Hull 3-72, Zaman Akhter 3-73)
England Lions – 237/2
(Tom Haines 103*, Max Holden 64*, Emiliano Gay 62; Anshul Kamboj 1-24)
India A lead by 320 runs
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