Pehli innings mein 348 run banane ke baad, jismein KL Rahul ke shandaar 116 run aur Dhruv Jurel ke 52 run shamil the, India A ki bowling thodi kamzor padti dikhi. Shardul Thakur aur Nitish Kumar Reddy jaise pace bowlers England Lions ke batsmen ko rokne mein kaamyaab nahi ho paye, aur England Lions ne doosre din ke khel ke ant tak 192/3 ka score bana liya, jismein Emilio Gay ke 74 aur Tom Haines ke 54 run shamil the. Yeh ek aisa pal tha jab India A ke fans ke chehre par thodi si chinta dikhayi di, kyunki unki team ka bowling attack unki ummeedon par khara nahi utar raha tha.
Lekin jaise-jaise match aage badha, India A ke batsmen ne doosri innings mein apni chamak dikhayi. KL Rahul aur Abhimanyu Easwaran ne shandaar aadhi sadiyaan lagayi, jisse team ka lead mazboot hota gaya. Rahul, jo pehle hi pehli innings mein apni class dikha chuke the, ne ek baar phir se apni shant aur sundar batting se sabka dil jeet liya. Unki 51 run ki innings, jo 23 overs mein 103/2 ke score tak le gayi, ek bar phir unki lambi format mein wapas lautne ki kabiliyat ko dikha rahi thi. Yeh wahi Rahul hain jinhone 2018 mein England ke khilaaf ek shandaar 149 run ki innings kheli thi, aur aaj bhi woh apne usi purane roop mein dikhe.
Abhimanyu Easwaran, jo pehli innings mein sirf 11 run bana paye the aur Chris Woakes ka shikaar bane, ne doosri innings mein apni galtiyon se seekh li. Unhone 80 run ki ek shandaar innings kheli, jo ek samay 52* tak pahunch gayi thi jab India A ka score 127/2 tha. Yeh innings unke liye ek bada jawab thi, kyunki unka form pichle kuch matches mein kuch khaas nahi raha tha. Yaad kijiye 2021 ka woh Australia A ke khilaaf match, jab Abhimanyu ne 102 run ki ek yaadgaar innings kheli thi, aur aaj bhi unhone wahi jazba dikhaya. Unka yeh pradarshan unke liye ek nayi shuruaat ho sakti hai, khaas kar jab Indian Test team mein jagah ke liye itni competition hai.
England Lions ke liye Chris Woakes ek baar phir se star rahe, jinhone doosri innings mein bhi do wickets lekar India A ke top order ko jhatka diya. Woakes, jo ek ankle injury se wapas aaye hain, ne apni pehli innings mein bhi 3/50 ke shandaar figures diye the, aur yeh dikha raha hai ki woh upcoming India ke khilaaf Test series ke liye kitne khatarnak ho sakte hain. Unki bowling mein wahi rhythm dikha jo unhone 2023 Ashes series mein dikhaya tha, jab unhone Australia ke khilaaf 12 wickets liye the. Lekin England Lions ke liye ek chinta ki baat rahi Josh Tongue ka injury ke wajah se maidan chhodna. Tongue, jo pehli innings mein ek wicket le chuke the, doosre din ek sudden injury ke baad limp karte hue maidan se bahar gaye. Yeh unke liye aur England ke liye ek bada jhatka ho sakta hai, kyunki woh bhi Test series ke liye ek bada naam hain.
India A ka lead ab 184 run tak pahunch chuka hai, aur Dhruv Jurel (6*) aur Nitish Reddy (1*) crease par hain. Jurel, jo pehli innings mein 52 run bana chuke hain, ek aur lambe innings ke liye taiyaar dikh rahe hain. Yeh wahi Jurel hain jinhone IPL 2025 mein Rajasthan Royals ke liye shandaar pradarshan kiya tha, aur ab red-ball cricket mein bhi apna naam bana rahe hain. Match ka yeh phase India A ke liye bohot crucial hai, kyunki agar yeh lead 250-300 tak le jaya gaya toh England Lions ke liye match bachana mushkil ho jayega.
Lekin, ek baat jo chinta ka vishay hai, woh hai India A ki bowling unit ka inconsistent pradarshan. Pehli innings mein unke bowlers, jaise Anshul Kamboj aur Tushar Deshpande, sirf ek-ek wicket hi le paye, aur yeh dikhata hai ki unhe apni strategy mein sudhar karna hoga. Agar India A ko yeh match jeetna hai, toh unhe apni bowling mein thodi aur sharpness laani hogi, warna England Lions ke batsmen, jaise Emilio Gay aur Jordan Cox, jo abhi form mein hain, match ko unke haath se chheen sakte hain. Yeh ek aisa challenge hai jo India A ke liye aage ke liye bhi ek sabak ho sakta hai, khaas kar jab baat Test cricket ki ho.
