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India A witnessed a spectacular performance from Rajat Patidar on Day 2 of their first unofficial Test against England Lions at the Narendra Modi Stadium Ground A in Ahmedabad on Thursday, January 18. As the rest of the batting lineup badly struggled, including captain Abhimanyu Easwaran, Patidar emerged as the solitary beacon, scoring a stunning century.
Rajat Patidar comes to India A's rescue
India A found themselves in a precarious situation at 95/7, following a batting collapse, especially after England Lions set a formidable score of 553/8. Openers Abhimanyu Easwaran and B Sai Sudharsan scored only 4 and 0, respectively, while Sarfaraz Khan and Pradosh Ranjan Paul made minimal contributions. KS Bharat, the Indian wicketkeeper-batsman and a member of the 16-man Test squad for the first two matches of the upcoming five-match series against England, continued his underwhelming performance, getting out for just 15.
However, Rajat Patidar stood out remarkably, reaching his century in just 94 deliveries. He celebrated his hundred with a spectacular six. The Royal Challengers Bangalore player increased his aggression after the milestone, realising the need to score rapidly as he was losing partners.
In the concluding session, Rajat Patidar delivered an explosive performance, scoring 140 runs off just 132 balls, including 18 fours and 5 sixes. By the end of Day 2, India A stood at 215 for 8, still lagging behind England Lions by 338 runs. Patidar's recent months have been remarkable, especially considering he was sidelined for most of 2023 due to an Achilles heel injury. He received his inaugural call-up to the Indian ODI team for a series against South Africa in October 2022 but didn't get a chance to play. Although he was selected for the ODI squad for the South Africa tour in 2023, he was unable to participate due to the high level of competition. This innings marked Patidar's 12th century in First-Class cricket and his third in 12 innings for India A. Notably, Patidar scored 111 in a practice match against England Lions just last week.
On the first day of play, the England Lions unleashed a batting onslaught reminiscent of 'Bazball' against India A. Led by opening batsman Keaton Jennings, the team executed a batting clinic, piling up a massive 382 runs for only three wickets in just 82 overs. Jennings, who hadn't featured in a Test match for England in almost five years, played a particularly aggressive innings, smashing 154 runs from 188 deliveries, which included 20 boundaries and two sixes.
Rajat Patidar's innings set a dominant tone for the day. Jennings was instrumental in forming substantial partnerships, including a 157-run opening stand with Alex Lees, who contributed a quick 73 runs from 91 balls, followed by a 127-run partnership with captain Josh Bohanon, who was not out on 93 from 140 balls at the close of play. The England Lions' batting approach was marked by an aggressive strategy that left the Indian bowlers, both pacers and spinners, struggling to counter. The England Lions maintained their aggressive play and eventually declared at 553/8 after 118 overs.
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