Canterbury, June 2 (IANS) The 1st unofficial Test between India ‘A’ and England Lions ended not with a bang but a handshake. After four days of hard, if unspectacular, cricket on a docile pitch at The Spitfire Ground, the game meandered to a predictable draw on Monday afternoon.

It was a contest that offered more for the statisticians and selectors than spectators, with batters cashing in and bowlers toiling endlessly for scraps.

After England Lions edged ahead with a 30-run first-innings lead — bowled out right on the stroke of lunch — the final day evolved into an extended net session for India A’s top order. Four Indian batters—Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Dhruv Jurel, and Nitish Kumar Reddy—got valuable middle time, stroking fluent half-centuries before both teams shook hands an hour after tea.

For most, this was just another India A game. But for Abhimanyu Easwaran, this tour feels like a relentless audition. The 28-year-old has lived on the fringes of Indian Test cricket for years — called up, then benched, over and over. A veteran of 100-plus first-class matches, his India debut remains elusive.

His first-innings failure, lbw for 8 before the morning haze had even lifted on Day 1, only added to the weight he carries. But Easwaran, ever the grafter, came out with a purpose on Monday. A flick through square leg opened his account and perhaps soothed some nerves.

He was soon driving crisply, especially against Zaman Akhter, whom he crunched for back-to-back boundaries through cover. The half-century came with a smartly steered single, but his ambition to push further ended in misjudgment. Trying to reverse-sweep leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, he exposed his stumps and was bowled for 68. A promising knock, but not the sort of statement that demands selection.

At the other end, Yashasvi Jaiswal looked every bit the fearless aggressor India wants at the top. He cruised to his second half-century of the match, peppering the offside with punchy cuts and drives. But for the second time in the match, he fell to a stroke of impetuosity. This time, the disappointment was visible, but not lingering — a shrug and a walk, aware that bigger battles lie ahead, starting June 20 at Headingley.

The middle order saw its share of competition, too. Dhruv Jurel, who had missed a century by just six runs in the first innings, looked unbothered by that near miss. Walking in at No. 3, he continued his fluid strokeplay, finding boundaries with ease and building his case for a potential Test debut.

With K.S. Bharat out of the picture and Ishan Kishan still not back in the Test reckoning, Jurel may be in a two-way tussle with Karun Nair for a specialist batter’s role in Leeds.

Nitish Kumar Reddy, meanwhile, provided selectors a glimpse of his all-round potential. The Andhra lad, cleared by the BCCI medical panel in March after a side strain, only resumed bowling recently. At Canterbury, he looked to be easing into a rhythm, bowling 14.5 overs across the Lions’ innings and picking up the lone wicket of tailender Eddie Jack.

But it was his 50-plus knock on the final day that might stick longer in the minds of selectors. Composed, unfussy, and efficient — Reddy looked every bit a utility player India could turn to in a transition phase.

The second unofficial Test starts on June 6 in Northampton.

Brief scores:

India ‘A’ 557 & 241/2 in 41 overs (Abhimanyu Easwaran 68, Yashasvi Jaiswal 64; Rehan Ahmed 2-41) draw with England 587 all out in 145.5 overs (Tom Haines 171, Dan Mousley 113; Mukesh Kumar 3-92, Shardul Thakur 2-105)

–IANS

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