Day 1 of the first unofficial Test between the England Lions and India A 2025: Karun Nair leads the charge with an impressive performance

In the first unofficial Test between the two teams at Canterbury’s St Lawrence Ground, the England Lions won the toss and chose to play, and India A ended up reaching 409/3 on Day 1.

Just four runs were scored in the opening five overs. Josh Hull’s trapping of Abhimanyu Easwaran (eight off 17) on the front pad was the morning’s first breakthrough. The new-ball duo of Josh Hull and Ajeet Singh Dale was effectively dismissed by the duo of Karun Nair and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Eddie is 19 years old. When Jaiswal made his First-Class debut, Jack dismissed him. Nair and Sarfaraz Khan made sure that no further harm was done until lunchtime. On 86/2, India A resumed the second session. In the 37th (85 balls) and 45th (84 balls) overs, respectively, Karun Nair and Sarfaraz reached their half-centuries.

The pair ended a session without a wicket in spectacular fashion. For the Lions’ bowling unit, it was a difficult grind. Sarfaraz was on 92* at Tea, while Karun Nair was on 91*. Six deliveries into the day’s last session, the latter died. James Rew got his second catch of the day, while Hull got his second wicket.

In the day’s 60th over, Nair reached his 24th First-Class century. 19 runs were scored in the seventh over bowled by Rehan Ahmed. In the 74th and 80th overs, respectively, Nair and Dhruv Jurel reached their 150th and fifty. Jurel (82* off 104) and Nair (186* off 246) were called as stumps.

In relation to the England Lions bowlers, Dale Singh bowled the most overs (19). Hull (2/51 in 14 overs) and Jack (1/51 in 15 overs) took the three wickets in India A’s score of 409/3 in 90 overs. Rehan, one of the two Lions players with caps, had a drab day. In 16 overs, the leg-spinner gave up 95 runs and went wicketless.