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England Lions dominated India A on Day 3 of their first four-day unofficial Test as Tom Haines' 171, Max Holden's 101, Dan Mousley's 113 lifted the hosts at 527/7 at the close of day's play.
Shardul Thakur and Nitish Kumar Reddy, both strong contenders for the crucial seamer all-rounder position in the Test squad, delivered rather underwhelming performances. While Mukesh Kumar (3/75 in 21 overs) offered a notable spell with the old Dukes ball, the overall bowling effort from India was largely uninspiring.
The Indian bowlers found it difficult to make an impact on a flat pitch, and Abhimanyu Easwaran's captaincy, much like his batting, left a lot to be desired. Shardul (1/90 in 21 overs) and Reddy (0/57 in 11 overs) bowled a combined 32 overs. Despite Shardul's extended spell, neither bowler seemed to trouble Tom Haines (171) or Dan Mousley (113), who celebrated his maiden first-class century. While Reddy needed two spells to find his rhythm, Shardul's performance was, at best, uninspiring. Both players are vying for the No. 7 spot in the Indian Test team for the upcoming Leeds game, yet they bowled at average speeds between 75 mph (120 kmph) and 78 mph (125 kmph).
Although Shardul did pick up a wicket, the credit largely goes to Sarfaraz Khan, who took a brilliant one-handed catch at a slightly wide first slip off an over-pitched delivery, denying Haines a double century. It remains unclear whether these two Test squad members were instructed not to bowl at full intensity in the post-lunch and post-tea sessions. However, if the senior team management was looking to assess who could consistently bowl 10-12 overs a day in English conditions, this match may not have provided the definitive answers they sought.
In reply to India A’s formidable first innings total of 557, England Lions displayed a robust batting performance. In the opening session, both Tom Haines (171) and Max Holden (101) reached centuries, setting a strong foundation for their team. In addition to these two left-handers, Dan Mousley (113) also batted with confidence against the Indian attack, contributing significantly to the Lions' score.
The partnership between Haines and Holden was particularly crucial, adding 181 runs for the third wicket, forming the backbone of England Lions' innings. Following Holden's dismissal, the Haines-Mousley partnership contributed another 93 runs. Later, Mousley combined with Zaman Akhter (38 not out) for a 108-run stand for the seventh wicket, further solidifying their position.
For India A, Mukesh Kumar stood out with his bowling, consistently hitting the right areas and extracting both bounce and seam movement from the pitch. His efforts paid off as he dismissed Holden, James Rew (8), and Rehan Ahmed (3) in quick succession before lunch. Mukesh was the sole bowler who managed to find some assistance from the flat track. In contrast, Harshit Rana (0/84 in 22 overs) struggled to make an impact with his hard lengths, and Anshul Kamboj (1/69 in 22 overs) too couldn't make a significant impact
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