Abhimanyu Easwaran’s disciplined 80-run innings was pivotal in helping India A secure a lead of 184 runs by the end of Day 3 in the 2nd unofficial Test against England Lions. KL Rahul also contributed significantly with a classy half-century, continuing his excellent form on the England tour where he’s already scored a century and a fifty.
The day began with India A being bowled out for 348 on Sunday, June 8, but their bowlers fought back strongly. Khaleel Ahmed was instrumental in putting England Lions under pressure with a fiery spell between the 51st and 57th overs, ripping through their batting lineup. Despite a resilient last-wicket partnership that added 48 runs, the Lions were all out for 327, just shy of India’s first innings total.
Facing this slight deficit, India A started their second innings needing to set a strong platform. After the early dismissal of Yashasvi Jaiswal—who struggled in both innings—KL Rahul and captain Abhimanyu Easwaran steadied the ship. Rahul’s spot in the Indian squad seems secure, but Easwaran is still fighting to prove his worth for a top-4 batting position in the national team.
Unlike his first innings, where he was dismissed early, Easwaran showed great composure and aggression in the second. He punished anything overpitched and played some impressive pull shots against the England pace attack. Batting for 91 balls, Easwaran scored 80 runs, including 10 boundaries, before falling to a Chris Woakes delivery that caught the edge and was taken by the slip.
With fading light at Northampton forcing umpires to call stumps, India A finished Day 3 with a solid lead of 184 runs and 4 wickets remaining, putting them in a strong position going into the final day.
