The two unofficial Test match series played between India A and England Lions finally ended without any result. Although no team could win in this series, the performance of the players was such that they definitely won the hearts of the fans. Especially the way Anshul Kamboj and Tanush Kotian, playing for India A, showed all-round performance in both the innings, impressed everyone.
The first match was played in Canterbury and that too was a draw. The second Test also ended with a draw on the last day. That is, the entire series ended in a 0-0 draw. Although no winner of the series was declared, but the players who have emerged from this series are showing tremendous potential.
The special thing in these matches was that the young players of the team took responsibility and performed brilliantly even under pressure. It is because of such players that a team like India A becomes strong and later on these players can also make a place in the national team.
India made a slight lead in the first innings, but the match turned in the second innings
In the second unofficial Test match, India A started well by batting first and scored 348 runs. After this innings, England Lions also gave a strong reply, but their team was reduced to 327 runs. In this way, India got a lead of only 21 runs on the basis of the first innings.
The match was looking very competitive from the beginning, but the real thrill started in the second innings. In the second innings of India A, Tanush Kotian and Anshul Kamboj batted in such a way that it changed the course of the entire match. Both of them made a tremendous partnership and did not give England’s bowlers a chance to survive.
India A declared the innings after scoring 417 runs for 7 wickets in the second innings and gave England a target of 439 runs to win. This target was so big that the England Lions batsmen came under pressure from the very beginning.
Kotian and Kamboj made a blast with the bat, Kamboj also shined with the ball
Tanush Kotian and Anshul Kamboj were the heroes of India A’s second innings. Kotian played a tremendous innings of 90 runs while Kamboj also supported him well and added an unbeaten 51 runs. The partnership of these two put the team in a strong position from where victory could be expected.
Not only this, when it was the turn of bowling, Anshul Kamboj did wonders there too. He took 2 important wickets by giving 6 runs in just 3 overs. He added excitement to the match by dismissing top batsmen of England Lions like Emilio Gay and Jordan Cox.
These two players proved that they are not just players of one format, but are capable of strengthening the team in every role. If these players become part of the Indian senior team in the coming times, then it will not be a surprise.
The match was drawn, but Indian cricket got two new stars
When the match was declared a draw on the last day, England Lions had scored only 32 runs for the loss of three wickets. Ben McKinney was standing at the crease with 16 runs and captain James Rave was supporting him without opening the account.
Although the result of the match was a draw, India A gained a lot from this match. The biggest thing was that the young players played responsibly and proved themselves in difficult times. Especially the performance of Anshul Kamboj and Tanush Kotian was very inspiring.
This series has made it clear that India’s bench strength is getting stronger. Now the Indian Test team is going to play a 5-match Test series in England from June 20, and looking at this performance, these young players can also get a chance.
