New Delhi: India A showed their authority on the opening day of the first unofficial Test against Sri Lanka A, taking a commanding lead of 333/4 in Galle on Thursday.The visitors elected to bat first and were powered by Sai Sudharsan’s smooth knock, who made 132 off 175 runs. The left-hander had a brilliant touch from the outset, combining solid fielding with elegant batting to keep Sri Lanka’s bowlers at bay for much of the day.Sudarsan found the perfect balance between patience and aggression, punishing anything that came loose while respecting the surface conditions that occasionally helped the bowlers. His 82-run stand with Aayush Pandey (25) gave India a solid start before they briefly struggled for the loss of a wicket at the other end.Even after Devdutt Padikkal’s early dismissal and a brief period of integration, Sudarsan ensured firm control of the India A team. His 19 boundaries showed fluidity and authority as he absorbed the pressure and then changed direction after settling down.
Jurel and Rashid extend dominance
Sudharsan’s dismissal at 217/4 did not bring any relief to the home team as captain Dhruv Jurel and Shaik Rasheed took charge with an unbeaten 116-run partnership for the fifth wicket.Jurel led the way with a composed 68, rotating the attack deftly and taking advantage of loose passes. At the other end, Rashid complemented him perfectly with a confident unbeaten 53, showing maturity in both pace and spin.The duo ensured that India A did not lose momentum in the final game, maintaining a healthy scoring rate of 3.87 runs per over in 86 overs.Sri Lanka A’s bowlers fought hard but achieved limited results, with left-arm spinner Dilum Sudeera scoring 2/98 after a long spell of 29. However, the lack of consistent breakthroughs allowed India A to build partnerships throughout the day.
India A firmly in command
From the stumps, the story of the day was India A’s dominance through sustained partnership and disciplined batting. From Sudarsan’s dominant defense to the Yurel Rashid stand, the visiting team controlled the proceedings from start to finish.Riding on a determined momentum, India A will look to build on their strong start and convert their strong start into a dominant first-innings total in the remaining days of the four-day tournament.
