IND A vs ENG Lions Live: India A aim for early wickets on Day 3

At stumps on Day 2, England Lions were well-placed at 192/3, thanks to strong performances from their top-order.

Jordan Cox remained unbeaten on 31, looking comfortable, while skipper James Rew was yet to open his account. The home side will aim to reduce the 156-run deficit further when play resumes on Sunday.

With the pitch still offering some swing and carry, India A will need early breakthroughs to prevent the Lions from taking a first-innings lead. The coming day could be crucial in determining the flow of the match, especially with bad light already curtailing action on Saturday.

India A were bowled out for 348 in their first innings, having resumed at 319/7. The collapse saw the last three wickets fall for just 29 runs as the Lions capitalised with the new ball.

KL Rahul’s stellar century on Day 1 was the highlight of the innings. He smashed 116 off 168 balls, anchoring the innings amid falling wickets. Rahul combined elegance with restraint, reaching his ton in the 56th over and celebrating after a composed knock that included 15 boundaries and a six. His form is a big positive ahead of the senior team’s Test series in England.

While most of the India A bowlers failed to make an impact, off-spinner Tanush Kotian and pacer Anshul Kamboj provided the few bright spots.

Kotian struck late in the day to trap Gay leg-before, breaking a dangerous stand with Jordan Cox. The off-spinner showed guile and patience, often drawing false strokes.

Earlier, Kamboj dismissed opener Ben McKinney cheaply and continued to bowl with control and sharpness. However, support from the rest of the attack remained lacking. Tushar Deshpande also chipped in by dismissing Haines, but he proved expensive, leaking 44 runs in just eight overs.

England Lions batters Tom Haines and Emilio Gay capitalised on India A's toothless bowling attack with composed half-centuries.

Haines crafted a fluent 54 off 88 deliveries, while Gay anchored the innings with a confident 71 off 117 balls. Their 94-run partnership for the second wicket highlighted the struggles of the Indian bowling unit, which lacked bite and consistency. Gay and Haines milked the seamers and rarely looked troubled, despite some disciplined overs from spinner Tanush Kotian.

The Lions moved confidently to 192/3 by stumps, trailing by just 156 runs, with two full days of play still to come.

India A's pace-bowling all-rounders, Shardul Thakur and Nitish Kumar Reddy, continued to deliver uninspiring performances on Day 2 of the second unofficial Test against England Lions in Northampton.

Despite helpful swing conditions, both bowlers remained wicketless across their six-over spells.

The Indian management will be concerned, especially with both players in contention for a pace-allrounder slot in the upcoming five-Test series against England. Their struggles follow a mediocre showing in the first match at Canterbury, where Thakur and Reddy went for over 100 and 60 runs respectively for minimal reward. The lack of penetration is becoming a worrying trend.