The England Lions command with three hundreds, but Mukesh Kumar's outburst gives India A hope.

The England Lions command with three hundreds, but Mukesh Kumar's outburst gives India A hope.

Last Updated Jun - 02 - 2025, 03:21 PM | Source : Fela News

It was a long and challenging day for India A as the England Lions piled on a massive 527/7, riding on superb centuries from Tom Haines (171), Max Holden (101), and Dan Mousley (113). The Indian bowlers were made to work hard, with very little to show for their efforts, except a spirited spell from Mukesh Kumar that brought some relief.

Mukesh, who had gone for runs on Day 2, came back strongly in the morning session with the older ball, dismissing three left-handers in quick succession. His disciplined line and clever use of angles got him crucial wickets, turning the tide briefly in India's favour. Unfortunately, the rest of the bowling unit, especially Shardul Thakur and Nitish Kumar Reddy, failed to make much of an impact. Together, they bowled 32 overs and conceded 147 runs, with Thakur getting the breakthrough of Haines late in the day.

India A’s fielding left much to be desired. Wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel dropped Haines early on, a miss that proved costly. He was also denied a legitimate catch later, as the umpire didn’t spot the edge off Holden’s bat. Harshit Rana was the unlucky bowler on both occasions, and his efforts went unrewarded.

Sarfaraz Khan stood out in the field, taking two fine catches  one of them a stunning effort off Thakur’s bowling to remove Haines. In the final moments of the day, part-timer Karun Nair bowled a clever delivery to trap Mousley leg-before, offering a much-needed breakthrough.

With India A having scored 557 earlier, they now hold a slim lead of 30 runs. While the Lions clearly had the better day, Mukesh’s fiery spell and a couple of bright fielding moments kept India A in the game.

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