AGENCY
NAGPUR: Suresh Lokes-hwar’s fine unbeaten 92 helped India Under-19 escape with a draw in the first Youth Test against the visiting England Under-19 side at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground in Nagpur on Thursday (February 16).
Set to chase 238 for a win, after shooting out the visitors for just 167 in their second innings, the home side slipped to 61 for 6 inside 15 overs, giving the English side a fair chance to taking a series lead. But Lokeshwar combined with Sijomon Joseph for a 39-run partnership and an invaluable 61-run stand with Kanishk Seth for the eighth wicket that rescued India.
England’s strike bowlers Henry Brookes and Aaron Beard ran through the Indian top order to pick up five quick wickets as none of the top-five could get into double figures. India’s first-innings centurion Daryl Ferrario could also only manage a brisk 37 but by then the damage was done. Lokeshwar then dropped anchor at one end and the tail sufficiently assisted the wicketkeeper from the other end to bail India out of what could have been an embarrassing loss after a good bowling show on the final morning.
Resuming their second innings from the overnight score of 23 for 1, England too lost three in quick succession to be reduced to 78 for 4 early on. George Bartlett, who top-scored in the first innings with 179, carried forward his fine form to propel his side to a respectable score. His 68 came off 97 balls, laced with 11 hits to the fence and one over it.
But once the half-centurion was dismissed, with the scoreboard reading 151 for 5, England tail could add only 16 more to their total. Joseph took six of the nine English wickets that fell on the final day.
score board
England 1st innings 501/5 dec
India 1st innings 431/8 dec
England 2nd innings
HC Brook b Bhagat 29
MDE Holden* lbw b Seth 08
H Brookes c Saurabh Singh b Joseph 03
GA Bartlett c Bhagat b Joseph 68
DMW Rawlins lbw b Joseph 15
OJ Pope† c Joseph b Ferrario 26
E Woods not out 05
WG Jacks b Joseph 00
AP Beard c Abhishek Goswami b Joseph 01
L Patterson-White c Abhishek Goswami b Joseph 03
A Godsal st †Lokeshwar b Ferrario 00
Extras 09
Total 167/10
India 2nd innings
Abhishek Goswami c Brook b Brookes 04
RS Kunnummal b Beard 04
RI Thakur st †Pope b Brookes 08
Jonty Sidhu* c †Pope b Beard 01
Saurabh Singh b Brookes 05
DS Ferrario c †Pope b Godsal 37
S Lokeshwar† not out 92
S Joseph lbw b Patterson-White 12
KK Seth c Godsal b Holden 18
V Panwar not out 00
Extras 08
Total 189/8