Match ke aakhiri din, jab lag raha tha ki India A shayad koi chamatkar kar de, Tanush Kotian aur Anshul Kamboj ne apni chamak se sabka dhyaan kheech liya. Lekin, cricket ki yahi kahaani hai—kabhi kabhi aap jeet ke kareeb hote ho, par jeet haath nahi lagti.
Pichle kuch saalon mein India A ke matches aksar aise hi draw par khatam hue hain, jaise ki 2019 mein Australia A ke khilaaf tour match, jahan Hanuma Vihari ne shandaar 148 run banaye the, par match phir bhi draw raha. Northampton ke is match mein bhi, India A ke ballebaazon ne pehle toh acchi shuruaat ki, lekin England Lions ke bowlers ne unhe roka. Pehli innings mein KL Rahul ke 116 aur Dhruv Jurel ke 52 runon ne India A ko 348 tak pahunchaya, jabki England Lions 327 run bana kar thodi si peechhe rahi. Doosri innings mein bhi India A ne dikhaya ki woh game par kabza kar sakte hain, lekin shayad thodi si jaldi ya strategy ki kami ne unhe jeet se door rakha.
Ab baat karte hain is match ke asli heroes ki—Tanush Kotian aur Anshul Kamboj. In dono ne aathve wicket ke liye 149 runon ki shandaar partnership ki, jo India A ke liye game badalne wali sabit hui. Kotian, jo apne all-round skills ke liye Mumbai domestic cricket mein jaane jaate hain, ne 108 balls mein 90* run banaye, jismein 10 four aur ek six shamil tha. Unki yeh innings yaad dilati hai 2018 ke Ranji Trophy season ki, jab unhone consistently runs aur wickets lekar Mumbai ko champion banaya tha. Dusri taraf, Kamboj, jo ek fast bowler hain, ne bhi apne maiden first-class fifty ke saath sabko hairan kar diya. Unhone 86 balls mein 51* run banaye, jismein unhone part-time bowlers jaise Tom Haines aur Ben McKinney ka bharpoor fayda uthaya. Yeh partnership itni shandaar thi ki X par fans ne isse “match-saving magic” kaha, aur @JaayShaan ne toh tweet kiya ki yeh 149* run ki partnership “fabulous” thi.
Kotian aur Kamboj ki yeh jodi sirf batting tak nahi ruki. Jab England Lions ne 438 runon ke target ka peecha shuru kiya, Kamboj ne bowling mein bhi apna jadoo dikhaya. Unhone ek hi over mein do wickets lekar England Lions ko 32/3 par la diya. Yeh lamha yaad dilata hai 2011 ke World Cup mein Zaheer Khan ke us spell ka, jab unhone England ke top order ko jhatke diye the. Kamboj ke do wickets—aur Tushar Deshpande ke ek wicket—ne dikhaya ki India A ke paas bowling attack mein bhi dum hai. Lekin, yahan se match ka mahaul badla. England Lions ne apne defenses mazboot kiye, aur match draw ki taraf badh gaya.
Yeh match ek taraf toh Kotian aur Kamboj ke liye ek bada mauka tha apne aap ko prove karne ka. Kotian, jo pehle se hi domestic circuit mein ek bharosemand all-rounder hain, ne dikhaya ki woh international level par bhi apna rang dikha sakte hain. Kamboj, jinhone IPL 2025 mein Chennai Super Kings ke liye bhi apni chhap chhodi hai, ne is match mein apni versatility dikhayi. Stephen Fleming ne unhe “gamechanger” kaha tha jab unhone IPL mein Kolkata Knight Riders ke khilaaf last-over thriller mein boundary maari thi. Is match mein bhi, unki bowling aur batting dono ne unhe selectors ke liye ek strong candidate bana diya.
Lekin yeh sab chamak-dhamak ke bawajood, match ka draw hona thodi si mayoosi chhod gaya. India A ke paas mauka tha England Lions ko haraane ka, lekin shayad declaration thodi der se hui, ya phir bowlers ko aur waqt chahiye tha. Yeh wahi kahani hai jo aksar dekhi jaati hai—jaise 2007 mein India aur England ke beech Test match draw hua tha jab India ke paas jeet ka mauka tha par rain aur time ne game chheen liya. Northampton mein bhi, match ke aakhiri ghante mein dono teams ne haath mila liye, aur fans ke dil mein ek khali pan reh gaya.
Is match se ek baat saaf hai—Kotian aur Kamboj jaise young players ke paas talent ki koi kami nahi. Unhone dikhaya ki woh bade stage par bhi apna dum dikha sakte hain. Lekin cricket mein sirf talent kaafi nahi hota; strategy, timing, aur thodi si kismat bhi chahiye. India A ke liye yeh tour ab Beckenham mein intra-squad match ke saath aage badhega, jahan yeh players apne aap ko aur polish karenge. Par sawal yeh hai—kya yeh talent kabhi bade Test level par chamkega, ya phir yeh bhi ek aur kahani ban kar reh jayega jo draw par khatam hoti hai.
