KL Rahul-Abhimanyu Easwaran's fifties after Khaleel Ahmed's 4-fer help India take lead 184-run lead on Day 3 against England Lions in 2nd unofficial Test

CAbhimanyu Easwaran's captain's knock of 80, and KL Rahul's 51-run knock led a strong batting display for India A as they reached 163 runs for the loss of four wickets in 33 overs against England Lions by the end of the third day's play in their second unofficial Test. With this India A extended their overall lead to a solid 184 runs against England Lions in the second unofficial Test. After the early dismissal of opener Yashasvi Jaiswal for just 5 runs, Rahul and Easwaran spearheaded a significant recovery, stitching together an 88-run partnership for the second wicket.

Earlier in the day, India A's left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed produced an impressive spell of seam bowling, taking four wickets for 70 runs. This bowling effort was instrumental in bowling out England Lions for 327 runs, giving India A a slender 21-run lead in the first innings at tea on Sunday, which was the third day of the match.

Resuming their innings at 192 runs for the loss of three wickets, the hosts, England Lions, experienced a dramatic collapse during the morning session, losing four crucial wickets for a mere 10 runs. Khaleel Ahmed initiated this downfall by dismissing captain James Rew for 10 runs and George Hill for a duck on consecutive deliveries. He then further dented the Lions' innings by claiming the wicket of Chris Woakes for 5 runs, caught behind, reducing them to 266 runs for the loss of eight wickets by the lunch break. After the interval, Nitish Kumar Reddy finally broke the determined resistance of Farhan Ahmed, whose patient innings of 24 runs from 87 balls had frustrated the India A bowlers, making the score 279 for nine.

However, India A then faced a frustrating period as they struggled to break the final wicket partnership between Josh Tongue and No. 11 batsman Eddie Jack. Tongue remained unbeaten on a solid 36 runs from 61 balls, while the 19-year-old Jack, playing in only his second first-class game, displayed remarkable composure under pressure. The left-hander struck three boundaries and partnered in a gritty 48-run last-wicket stand that took England Lions past the 300-run mark, much to the annoyance of the Abhimanyu Easwaran-led India A side.