With the World Cup lurking around the corner and with a few spots still up for grabs in the senior sides, the ongoing series between India 'A' and England Lions is of significant importance to the fringe players, who will be eager to grab attention and make a mark before the 30 players for the mega-event are shortlisted.
On a track that had plenty of runs to offer in the first game, the visiting team got off to a sedate start before skipper Sam Billings ended the English innings on a high. The target of 285 did seem challenging on a relatively slow track, but after India's opening duo of Ajinkya Rahane and Anmolpreet Singh notched up a 66-run stand for the first wicket, the match was India's for the taking. Keeper Ishan Kishan finished off proceedings with a fine fifty as India 'A' went 1-0 up in the 5-match series.
Though the home side will go into the second game with truckloads of confidence, it would be unwise to rule out a stiff challenge from the Englishman, who have players Sam Billings, Dominic Bess and Sam Hain in their ranks.
Player Recommendations:
Wicket-keeper: Ishan Kishan (9 credits)
The Man of the Match in the first unofficial game had held his nerves and helped his side over the line in the last over. Chasing 286 for a win, the Indians were in a spot of slight bother at 166 for 4 after 33.5 overs, but Kishan kept the runs coming
With the World Cup lurking around the corner and with a few spots still up for grabs in the senior sides, the ongoing series between India 'A' and England Lions is of significant importance to the fringe players, who will be eager to grab attention and make a mark before the 30 players for the mega-event are shortlisted.
On a track that had plenty of runs to offer in the first game, the visiting team got off to a sedate start before skipper Sam Billings ended the English innings on a high. The target of 285 did seem challenging on a relatively slow track, but after India's opening duo of Ajinkya Rahane and Anmolpreet Singh notched up a 66-run stand for the first wicket, the match was India's for the taking. Keeper Ishan Kishan finished off proceedings with a fine fifty as India 'A' went 1-0 up in the 5-match series.
Though the home side will go into the second game with truckloads of confidence, it would be unwise to rule out a stiff challenge from the Englishman, who have players Sam Billings, Dominic Bess and Sam Hain in their ranks.
Player Recommendations:
Wicket-keeper: Ishan Kishan (9 credits)
The Man of the Match in the first unofficial game had held his nerves and helped his side over the line in the last over. Chasing 286 for a win, the Indians were in a spot of slight bother at 166 for 4 after 33.5 overs, but Kishan kept the runs coming as he unleashed his lethal self. The youngster finished with 57 off 48 balls and also scalped a catch with the gloves.
Batsman: Sam Billings (10 credits)
The 27-year old has played 15 ODIs for England but has been dropped from the squad after being unable to leave much of an impact. However, he is a real threat if he gets going - as was evident in the first ODI where he smashed 108 runs to take his team to a challenging score. With a batting average of 42.22 in 76 List A innings and a strike-rate of 106.95, the player is one to watch out for.
All-rounder: Axar Patel (9 credits)
With players from England traditionally struggling against the spinners, Axar Patel can pose real danger. He took full advantage of the slow track in Kerala in the first game, conceding only 52 runs in his quota of 10 overs whilst also picking up two wickets. The player bamboozled the rivals with his variations with the ball, and was effective with the long handle as well, scoring a quick-fire, 14-ball 18.
Bowler: Mayank Markande (8 credits)
Markande has been creating waves with his accurate and tight bowling around the stumps. The Punjabi has played only 21 List A games to date, but has impressed with his control and turn in the short career, picking up 42 wickets at an average of 20.64 and an economy of less than 5 as well. In the first ODI, Markande bowled 9 overs for 45 runs and returned with two wickets.
Captain: Sam Billings
Vice-captain: Axar Patel
Predicted Playing XI:
India A: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Anmolpreet Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Ishan Kishan (wk), Axar Patel, Krunal Pandya, Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini, Siddarth Kaul, Mayank Markande
England Lions: Ben Duckett, Alex Davies (wk), Sam Hain, Sam Billings (c), Ollie Pope, Lewis Gregory, Will Jacks, Danny Briggs, Zak Chappell, Dominic Bess, James Porter
