NEW DELHI: India A asserted their authority on the opening day of the first unofficial Test against Sri Lanka A, finishing in a commanding 333/4 in Galle on Thursday.After opting to ask first, the visitors were propelled by a fluent century from Sai Sudharsan, who made a composed 132 off 175 deliveries. The left-hander was in excellent form from the outset, combining solid defense with elegant strokeplay to keep the Sri Lankan bowlers at bay for most of the day.Sudharsan struck the perfect balance between patience and aggression, punishing any loose ends by respecting the conditions on a surface that offered occasional help to the bowlers. His opening stand of 82 runs with Aayush Pandey (25) provided a steady start before India A briefly stumbled with the loss of wickets at the other end.Even after the early dismissal of Devdutt Padikkal and a brief period of consolidation, Sudharsan ensured that India A remained in firm control. His 19 boundaries reflected both fluency and authority, as he soaked up the pressure and then changed gears once he settled down.
Jurel and Rasheed extend their dominance
Sudharsan’s dismissal at 217/4 brought no relief for the hosts as captain Dhruv Jurel and Shaik Rasheed took charge with an unbeaten 116-run partnership for the fifth wicket.Jurel, who led from the front, played a composed knockout of 68 not out, intelligently rotating the shot and capitalizing on the loose deliveries. On the other hand, Rasheed complemented him perfectly with an assured unbeaten 53, showing maturity against both pace and spin.The duo ensured that India A did not lose momentum in the final session, maintaining a healthy scoring rate of 3.87 runs per over over the 86 overs of the game.Sri Lanka A’s bowlers toiled hard but found limited success as left-armer Dilum Sudeera returned figures of 2/98 after a long spell of 29. However, a lack of consistent breakthroughs allowed India A to continue building partnerships throughout the day.
India A firmly in command
For the stumps, the story of the day was India A’s dominance through sustained partnerships and disciplined batting. The visitors controlled the flow from start to finish, from Sudharsan’s anchorage to the Jurel-Rasheed stand.With the momentum firmly on their side, India A will look to build on and convert their strong start into a commanding first innings total in the remaining days of the four-day match.
