India A could not have asked for a better start to their tour of England. After being two down early on Day 1, Karun Nair, Sarfaraz Khan, and Dhruv Jurel took full control to help the visitors finish with a dominant 409/3 after 90 overs in Canterbury.
While Nair ended unbeaten on 186, Sarfaraz missed out on a century, and Jurel stood solid at 82 not out. But with three more days left in the match and trickier conditions expected early on Day 2, India A will need to tick a few important boxes to stay ahead. Below we see what India A should look to do in order to extract more meaning out of this unofficial first-class game.
1. Negate the First Hour
The first challenge for India A will be to get through the first hour unscathed. On Day 1, the pitch flattened out as the sun came out, and batting became easier. All three of Nair, Sarfaraz and Jurel made merry. But Day 2 morning could bring overcast skies and some movement off the surface. England Lions’ pacers, especially Josh Hull and Ajeet Singh Dale, are likely to be more dangerous in these conditions. Nair and Jurel must stay patient and play with soft hands early on.
Mind you, both Nair and Jurel might have scored many runs on Day 1, but on the new day, they will have to start from a “newcomer” mindset.
2. Karun Nair should look to score past 250
Karun Nair is already knocking on the selectors’ doors with this knock. But a double hundred, especially in England, would be hard to ignore. He can really make a space for himself and it would be absolutely ballistic to keep him out of India’s playing XI in the opening Test in Leeds.
It could put him right at the front of the queue for a middle-order slot in the senior team, especially with Virat Kohli unavailable. Nair needs to carry on and convert this fine innings into a match-defining one. He has looked untroubled for most of his incredible 186*- run knock so far.
3. Dhruv Jurel needs a big hundred
Jurel has shown flashes of his quality in both IPL and Test formats. He has already came up with gritty knocks. But with Rishabh Pant being perhaps India’s best Test batter since his debut, Jurel risks being stuck in the “backup wicketkeeper” tag. A big hundred here could give him the recognition he deserves, even as a pure batter. If need be, Jurel can easily step up as a specialist batter too to elongate the batting.
4. Time in the middle for Nitish Reddy & Shardul Thakur
Both Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shardul Thakur are slotted to bat next. India A would want them to get some valuable time in the middle to understand English conditions better. While Thakur has previously done well in these conditions, it is Reddy’s first tour to the UK.
Both Thakur and Reddy are looked at as possible options in the Indian Test team. While either one or both can feature in the playing XI. Hence, it would be of paramount importance that both the seam-bowling all-rounders gets to spend some time in the middle.
Boxes India ‘A’ would love to tick on Day 2 of unofficial Test vs England Lions ft. Karun Nair’s 200 Inside Sport India.
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