Pant Half-century Helps India A Outplay England Lions Again

Cricketnext Staff | Updated: January 29, 2019, 5:42 PM IST

Rishabh Pant celebrated his return to active cricket with half-century against the England Lions to lead India A to a comfortable six-wicket win in the fourth unofficial one-dayer in Trivandrum on Tuesday (January 29). The win stretched India’s lead to 4-0 in the five-match series.

Chasing 222 to win, India A overhauled the target in 46.3 overs thanks to Pant and Deepak Hooda’s knocks. KL Rahul, who returned from suspension in the last game against the England Lions, had a better outing and laid the platform for the victory, scoring 42 off 77 balls.

Pant, who joined the India A team from the fourth one-dayer by replacing Ajinkya Rahane in the squad, remained unbeaten on 73 off 76 balls with three sixes and six fours. The Indian wicket-keeper put on 119 unbeaten runs for the fifth wicket with Hooda, who scored a run-a-ball 47.

It was Pant’s sixth List A fifty and continued his rich vein of form with the bat. His last innings was an unbeaten 159 in the Sydney Test against Australia, earlier this month.

The Delhi wicketkeeper took his time to get his eye in but opened up after India A crossed the 200-run mark. Pant took 71 balls to complete his fifty and reached the landmark with a six. He finished the match off in style with couple of big sixes off England off-spinner Matthew Carter.

Rahul, though, got the India A innings going. After the early dismissal of opener Ruturaj Gaekwad, Rahul put on 59 runs for the second wicket with Ricky Bhui (35). The Karnataka batsman’s knock was studded with two sixes and he looked good for more before edging one to the keeper Sam Billings off medium-pacer Will Jacks.

Earlier, the Lions were in trouble immediately after winning the toss and choosing to bat first. Mumbai paceman Shardul Thakur sent back both English openers Alex Davies (15) and Will Jacks (11) to have the visitors in trouble early.

Deepak Chahar and Avesh Khan added to Shardul’s scalps as the Lions slipped to 55/4 in the 15th over. Young Ollie Pope guided the Lions to a respectable total with a 103-ball 65 while all-rounder Steven Mullaney provided the late impetus, scoring 58 off just 54 balls.

India A’s Thakur was the pick of the bowlers claiming 4/49 while Chahar picked up 2/38. The home side will now face the Lions on Thursday (January 31) for the fifth and final contest hoping to complete the whitewash.

Brief scores: England Lions 221/8 (Ollie Pope 65, Steven Mullaney 58 n.o.; Shardul Thakur 4/49, Deepak Chahar 2/38) lost to India A 222/4 in 46.3 ovs (Rishabh Pant 73 n.o., Deepak Hooda 47 n.o., KL Rahul 42)