India oiled their machinery in a warm-up match against County Select XI ahead of the five-Test series with hosts England, as the three-day affair ended in a deadlock.
KL Rahul plumps his case for opener’s role
Rishabh Pant and Wriddhiman Saha’s COVID-19 enforced absence paved the way for a rare opportunity in whites for KL Rahul, who grabbed it with both hands and crafted a fluent ton on the opening day. He found an able ally in Ravindra Jadeja, who scored an energetic 75 as India posted 311 in the first innings.
Haseeb Hameed wages a lone war with gritty hundred
England’s response was headlined by Haseeb Hameed, whose 246-ball 112 was the only notable batting contribution in a dramatic first-innings collapse of the hosts as Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Siraj shared five wickets between them. Incidentally, earlier on the second day, Haseeb was called up to the England Test side for the first two matches against India starting next month.
India’s injury woes compound
County Select XI were restricted to 220/9 after Avesh Khan, who was playing against India, was ruled out due to a fractured thumb. In what later came as another massive setback for India, Washington Sundar sustained a finger injury and was ruled out of the high-profile tour.
Ravindra Jadeja comes good in both innings
India’s second innings got off to a healthy start with Mayank Agarwal (47) and Cheteshwar Pujara (38) spending some valuable time at the crease. Hanuma Vihari (43) and Ravindra Jadeja (51) made hay as well, and India declared on 192/3 after 55 overs. There wasn’t enough time left in the contest to force a result for either team as hands were shaken, with County Select XI having ambled to 31 for no loss.