Rahul, Easwaran Fifties and Khaleel's Burst Give India A Control on Day Three

Half-centuries from KL Rahul and Abhimanyu Easwaran, combined with a fiery four-wicket burst from Khaleel Ahmed, placed India A firmly in the driver’s seat on the third day of the second unofficial Test against England Lions in Northampton. Ending the penultimate day with a lead of 184, India A capitalized on both top-order fluency and incisive bowling to tilt the match in their favor. After securing a slender 21-run lead in the first innings, the visitors pushed ahead with attacking intent, led by a composed 51 from Rahul and a brisk 80 from Easwaran. Rahul was particularly dominant against an off-color Josh Tongue—who later limped off injured after just four overs—raising alarm bells for England ahead of the five-Test series against India starting June 20. Easwaran, aggressive yet measured, partnered with Karun Nair to further accelerate the scoring, particularly targeting Eddie Jack and Farhan Ahmed’s spin. Earlier, Khaleel had ignited a Lions collapse with three wickets in six overs, including the dangerous Jordan Cox and captain James Rew, as the hosts slipped from relative comfort to 4 for 10 in a rapid collapse. Resistance from the Lions’ lower order, notably Farhan Ahmed and Jack, delayed India A’s charge with a dogged stand lasting over 150 balls. Despite a couple of missed chances, including a dropped catch by Rahul, India A closed the day strongly, maintaining their unbeaten position and well-placed to force a result heading into the final day.

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