Key takeaways from England Lions vs India A unofficial Tests
What's the story
The recently concluded two-match unofficial Test series between England Lions and India A served as a preparatory platform for the upcoming England-India Test series. The series saw several players from the India A squad gearing up for some red-ball action ahead of a grueling five-match Test series. KL Rahul, who rushed to England for the second match, scored a fine ton. Notably, both the games were drawn.
Rahul
Rahul's return to red-ball cricket
As mentioned, Rahul hammered two 50-plus scores in the 2nd unofficial Test (116 and 51). Rahul, who missed the opening Test, opened alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal in the following game. With the departure of Rohit Sharma, Rahul could be promoted as an opener in India's 1st Test against England, starting June 20 at Headingley. Rahul already has two Test tons in England.
Jaiswal
Jaiswal had a subpar series
On the other hand, Jaiswal had a subpar series in England, bagging scores of 17, 5, 24, and 64. Despite his impressive performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, these returns didn't inspire confidence ahead of the all-important England series. Notably, Jaiswal opened in all four innings and is likely to retain his role as an opener. His past exploits and the recent IPL form can't be ignored.
Easwaran
What about Abhimanyu Easwaran?
Domestic star Abhimanyu Easwaran also showed promise with a couple of impressive knocks. His scores in the series read 11, 80, 8, and 68. Despite an average of 40-plus with two half-centuries, it remains to be seen if he has done enough to earn a spot in India's Playing XI for the first Test. His domestic exploits could open up a slot if given a chance by India.
Nair
Karun Nair nearly earns his spot
Middle-order batter Karun Nair, who his eyeing a national comeback, also made a strong case for his inclusion with a double-century in Canterbury during his first outing for India A. Playing his 19th match, Nair surpassed 1,000 runs in First-Class Cricket for India A enroute to his ton on Day 1. Nair had a dream Ranji Trophy 2024/25 season for Vidarbha, helping his side win the title. He managed 863 runs from 9 matches at 53.93.
Player comparison
Nitish Reddy outperforms Shardul Thakur
All-rounder Nitish Reddy, who scored a historic ton Down Under, fared well as a batting all-rounder. Reddy scored 135 runs from four innings, including a half-century (52*). He also took two wickets with his medium-pace. It remains to be seen of he will get ahead of the experienced Shardul Thakur in the pecking order. Notably, the latter was wicketless in the second game.
Bowlers
What about bowlers?
Team India's frontline bowlers didn't feature much in the two games. Mukesh Kumar shone in the series opener, with Khaleel Ahmed proving his mettle in the second match. The likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, and Kuldeep Yadav were not exposed to the two unofficial Tests. Will the selectors go with a left-arm pacer at Headingley?