AGENCY
MUMBAI: Flavour of the season Rishabh Pant sizzled in his first ever match for India A and his smashing 59 off only 36 balls overshadowed senior pro Ajinkya Rahane’s compact 91 as a new-look India A side cruised to a six-wicket victory over England in the second warm-up game, here today.
Chasing a target of 283, India A knocked off the runs in 39.4 overs. Sheldon Jackson 59 off 56 balls also did his bit adding 119 runs for the opening stand with Rahane. Senior pro Suresh Raina did the finisher’s job with a 45 off 34 balls.
However it was Pant, whose performance was awaited and he didn’t disappoint the CCI crowd as he hit eight fours and two huge sixes. Such was his dominance that his contribution was 59 out of the 78 runs in only 8.4 overs that he added for the second wicket with Rahane. Rahane also showed no signs of rustiness hitting 10 fours and a six in 83 balls.
It was Deepak Hooda (23) and Ishan Kishan(5) at the crease. Earlier, opting to bat first the England innings was nurtured in the main by half centuries from opener Alex Hales (51) and Jonny Bairstow (64) before it got into the mire against the home side’s spin attack. They were finally revived by the last wicket pair of Adil Rashid and David Willey who put on 71 runs.
Strangely Pant, who is a regular opener for Delhi in ODIs and T20s along with IPL was demoted to No 3 but it did not dampen his spirits. The left-handed Pant, who slammed pacer Jake Ball for two fours and a short-arm pulled six in three successive balls, raced to his half century in just 32 balls before impetuosity cost him his wicket.
In trying to cart leggie Adil Rashid, who he had hoisted over long on for his second six off his previous delivery, the upcoming Delhi lad was caught at the same position after adding 78 runs in 8.4 overs overs for the 2nd wicket with Rahane who watched the youngster blast his way from the other end.
These first two partnerships that came at a rate above the asking rate and pushed the total very close to the 200 mark were enough to put the home team in sight of overhauling their rivals’ score.
After Rahane’s dismissal when he played on in trying to clip Willey, Raina and Deepak Hooda took the total past the 260-mark when the left-hander was caught in the deep off Ball. (PTI)
SCORECARD
England XI innings
JJ Roy hit wicket b Sangwan 25
AD Hales c Rahane b Nadeem 51
JM Bairstow c †Pant b Dinda 64
EJG Morgan* c & b Nadeem 00
BA Stokes c Ishan Kishan b Parvez Rasool 38
JC Buttler† c & b Parvez Rasool 00
MM Ali c †Pant b Dinda 01
CR Woakes b Parvez Rasool 16
AU Rashid c †Pant b Sangwan 39
LE Plunkett c †Pant b Kaul 08
DJ Willey not out 38
Extras 02
Total 282/10
India A innings
AM Rahane* b Willey 91
SP Jackson c Bairstow b Ali 59
RR Pant† c Hales b Rashid 59
SK Raina c Hales b Ball 45
DJ Hooda not out 23
Ishan Kishan not out 05
Extras 01
Total 283/4
