England Lions Assert Control as They Wrap Up India A’s First Innings; Abhimanyu Easwaran’s Side Scores 348

A KL Rahul masterclass was on display as the veteran showcased immense composure and grit as he gave some much-needed momentum to India A. The match was tainted with a controversial moment when Yashasvi Jaiswal's dismissal became a contentious subject. The young batter was also upset with the umpire's call, and he failed to deliver a powerful push in the first innings for his side. Abhimanyu Easwaran struggled yet again, as the Men in Blue delivered a somewhat lean pouting as compared to their performance in the first unofficial test at Canterbury.

A

At the England Lions vs India A action at Northampton saw Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul coming out to bat after the Lions opted to bowl first. The 23-year-old's controversial dismissal did not derail India A's momentum as veteran KL Rahul showcased perseverance with the bat. The batter's tenacity helped them sail through as Rahul scored a ton in the game. A 168-ball 116 set the tone for the Indian side. Skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran once again failed to deliver in the first innings, as he was dismissed at 11.

Karun Nair, the double centurion in the first unofficial test, could not go big this time. He was dismissed at 40 via LBW, courtesy of Woakes' firm bowling. Dhruv Jurel looked firmly on track as he scored 52 runs before being bowled out by George Hill. Nitish Reddy was taken down at 34 by Tom Haines, and India A's lower order couldn't fight back either. The team was bowled out at 348 after playing for 89.3 overs.

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C

England Lions' bowling battery was on top gear as they scalped some early wickets in the game. Chris Woakes, in particular, was clinical for the side as he took the wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran and Karun Nair. All of them were LBW dismissals. All the Indian batters had the potential to deliver game-changing innings, but Woakes kept them at bay.

Josh Tongue and George Hill also took up crucial wickets in the game as they picked two wickets each, while Farhan Ahmed and Tom Haines picked a scalp each to dismiss India A entirely and end the first innings.

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