England Lions have added the 27-year-old star pacer Josh Tongue in their squad for the second four-day unofficial Test against India A, which is slated to start from June 6 in Northampton. The Nottinghamshire seamer has shown promising form recently, having taken 15 wickets in three County Championship matches earlier this summer. Moreover, he also contributed with two wickets in his return to the England side during the Test match against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge.
Josh Tongue added to England Lions' squad for 2nd unofficial Test against India A
Meanwhile, Yorkshire all-rounder George Hill is set to rejoin the team after being absent from the opening match of the tour. Additionally, both Chris Woakes and Jordan Cox have joined up with the England Lions squad in Northampton as previously planned, bolstering the team's resources for the upcoming fixture.
There have also been some changes to the squad with players departing for various reasons. Rehan Ahmed has left the England Lions to link up with the England Men's team for their Vitality IT20 series against West Indies. Unfortunately, Sonny Baker is sidelined due to an ankle injury, and Josh Hull is also unavailable due to a bruised heel. Consequently, Zaman Akhter, Henry Crocombe, and Dan Mousley will be returning to their respective counties.
England Lions' squad for 2nd unofficial Test against India A
James Rew (Somerset – captain), Farhan Ahmed (Nottinghamshire), Jordan Cox (Essex), Rocky Flintoff (Lancashire), Emilio Gay (Durham), Tom Haines (Sussex), George Hill (Yorkshire), Max Holden (Middlesex), Ben McKinney (Durham), Eddie Jack (Hampshire), Ajeet Singh Dale (Gloucestershire), Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)
The first unofficial Test match between India A and England Lions concluded without a decisive result, ending in a draw. England Lions displayed a strong batting performance in their first innings, posting a total of 587 runs, which was 30 runs more than India A's first innings score of 557. Despite conceding a slight lead, the Indian batsmen utilized their second innings to gain valuable practice and confidence ahead of the second 'Test' scheduled to begin in Northampton on June 6th. Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a quick 64 off 60 balls, while skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran contributed 68 runs from 87 deliveries. Dhruv Jurel remained unbeaten with a score of 53, and Nitish Kumar Reddy also chipped in with a brisk 52 not out from 47 balls.
With 25 overs still remaining on the final day of play, the match was officially declared a draw after India A had reached a score of 241 for the loss of just two wickets in 41 overs.