Karun Nair ne 204 ka dhamakedaar double century thoka, jisse India A ne 557 ka bada score khada kiya. Jawab mein, Tom Haines ke shandaar unbeaten century aur Max Holden aur Emilio Gay ke solid contributions ke saath Lions ne doosre din ka khel khatam kiya 237/2 pe, abhi bhi 320 run peeche, lekin sirf do wicket down.
India A ka Balla Bola
India A ne Day 2 shuru kiya 409/3 pe, Karun Nair (186*) aur Dhruv Jurel (82*) ke saath. Nair ne apni innings ko aur bhi mazboot kiya aur ek shandaar double century (204 off 281 balls, 26 fours, ek chhakka) maara. Uska khel tha ekdum class – cover drives, reverse sweeps, aur pulls ke saath bowlers ki dhulayi ki. Nair aur Jurel (94) ke beech 195 run ki partnership ne India A ko game mein dominate kiya. Jurel century se thodi der pehle slip mein out ho gaya, aur Nair ko bhi Zaman Akhter ne out kiya jab unhone ek incoming ball ko edge kar diya wicketkeeper James Rew ke haathon.
Lower order mein Shardul Thakur (27 off 32) aur Harsh Dubey (32) ne tezi se runs add kiye, jisse India A 125.1 overs mein 557 pe all out hui. Lions ke bowlers, Josh Hull aur Zaman Akhter, ne teen-teen wicket lekar thodi si rahat di, lekin India A ke batsmen ne unko khoob pareshan kiya.
Lions ka Jawaab
England Lions ki batting shuru hui, lekin Anshul Kamboj ne sixth over mein Ben McKinney (16) ko clean bowled karke jhatka diya. Phir Tom Haines aur Emilio Gay ne 109 run ki solid partnership banayi. Haines, ek left-hander, ne dikhaya ki woh loose balls ko punish kar sakta hai aur tight defense bhi rakh sakta hai. Gay ne bhi 46 (90 balls, 5 fours) banaye, lekin left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey ne unko Sarfaraz Khan ke haathon slip mein out kar diya.
Max Holden aaya aur ekdum aggressive andaaz mein 64* (61 balls, 8 fours, ek chhakka) banaye. Uski tezi aur Haines ke steady khel ne Lions ko 106 run ka unbeaten stand diya. Haines ne apna 15th first-class century 138 balls mein poora kiya (103*, 11 fours), dikhate hue ki woh game ko sambhal sakta hai aur mauka mile to punish bhi kar sakta hai. India A ke fielders ne do catch chhode – Gay 9 pe aur Haines 11 pe – jisse Lions ne faida uthaya aur din khatam kiya 237/2 pe, 52 overs mein, run rate 4.55.
Key Players aur Scene
- Karun Nair (204): Nair ka double ton ek bada statement tha, jo shayad usko India ke Test team mein jagah dilaye. Uska Lions ke naye bowlers ke khilaaf khel ekdum top-class tha.
- *Tom Haines (103)**: Haines ka century ekdum solid, jisme patience aur style dono dikhe. Uska partnership game ko Lions ke favor mein rakha.
- *Max Holden (64)**: Holden ke tezi bhare run ne Lions ko momentum diya.
- Anshul Kamboj (1/24): Haryana ka yeh pacer ne shuruaat mein wicket nikala, left-handers ke khilaaf tight bowling ki.
- Harsh Dubey (1/58): Is spinner ne Gay ko out karke India A ko thodi ummeed di.
India A ke bowlers, jaise Mukesh Kumar aur Harshit Rana, consistent nahi rahe aur runs leak kiye. Chhode hue catches ne bhi unka game kharab kiya. Pitch batting ke liye perfect thi, jisse Lions ke batsmen ne faida uthaya.
Aage Kya?
Lions ke paas abhi 8 wickets hain, lekin follow-on se bachne ke liye 170 run aur chahiye (387 tak). Haines aur Holden form mein hain, toh woh bada score bana sakte hain, lekin India A ke bowlers, khaas kar Kamboj aur Dubey, Day 3 pe jaldi wickets nikalne ki koshish karenge. Match abhi bhi exciting hai – India A ka haath upar hai, lekin Lions bhi lad rahe hain.
Brief Scores:
India A: 557 all out (125.1 overs; Karun Nair 204, Dhruv Jurel 94, Sarfaraz Khan 92; Josh Hull 3/72, Zaman Akhter 3/73)
England Lions: 237/2 (52 overs; Tom Haines 103*, Max Holden 64*; Anshul Kamboj 1/24, Harsh Dubey 1/58)
Peeche: 320 runs
