New Delhi, June 3(HS): The four-day practice match between India A and England Lions in Canterbury concluded in a draw, as batsmen dominated the fourth day. England Lions set the score at 587 runs in their first innings, in response to India A’s 557, with a last-wicket partnership contributing 49 runs that ensured a 30-run lead. India A opened their second innings aggressively, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Abhimanyu Easwaran both scoring half-centuries. Jaiswal struck 64 runs off 60 balls, primarily from boundaries, while the duo managed a brisk opening partnership of 123 runs.

The scoring accelerated further with the arrivals of Dhruv Jurel and Nitishe Reddy, both who had previously underperformed in the first innings; Jurel scored 54 not out after a 94-run innings earlier, and Reddy improved to score 51 runs from 43 balls in the second innings. Remarkably, all top-6 batsmen of India A recorded at least one half-century across both innings, reflecting a robust batting lineup. Brief Scorecard: India A: 557 (Karun Nair 204, Dhruv Jurel 94, Sarfaraz Khan 92; Josh Hull 3/72, Zaman Akhtar 3/73) and 241/2 (Easwaran 68, Jaiswal 64, Jurel 54*, Reddy 52*); England Lions: 587 (Tom Haines 175, Dan Mousley 113, Max Holden 101; Mukesh Kumar 3/92). Result: Match drawn.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar