The pace battle stole the show in the second unofficial Test between India A and Sri Lanka A, with Gurnoor Brar proving he can be just as effective with the red ball as he was on ODI debut against Afghanistan. Bowling for India A, Brar picked up four wickets to unsettle the Sri Lanka A batting lineup.
Brar and Saransh Jain share the spoils
Brar wasn't the only bowler to make an impact. Spinner Saransh Jain matched him wicket for wicket, also finishing with four scalps. Between them, the pair dismantled Sri Lanka A's innings and restricted the visitors to 366 in their first innings. Brar bowled 22 overs and conceded 77 runs, while Jain sent down 30 overs for 93 runs. Yash Thakur chipped in as well, taking 2 wickets for 46 runs in his 20 overs. Aqib Nabi, Zeeshan Ansari and Sheikh Rasheed, however, went wicketless in the innings.
Captain Sahan Arachchige's century holds the innings together
Despite the bowlers' dominance, Sri Lanka A still reached a competitive total largely because of captain Sahan Arachchige's century. He faced 207 balls for his 127 runs, hitting 13 fours and 2 sixes along the way. It was the standout innings of the day and the main reason Sri Lanka A's total climbed past 350.
Contributions further down the order
Beyond the captain, Nuwanidu Fernando added 44 runs and Anjala Bandara made 42. Pawantha Weerasinghe played a 39-run knock, while Ashen Bandara scored 34. Further down, Dilum Sudeera contributed 20 and Sohan de Livera chipped in with 24, helping push Sri Lanka A's total to 366.
India A's steady start in reply
Chasing down 366, India A began their innings cautiously. Sai Sudharsan and Aman Mokhade opened the batting for the hosts and looked to lay a solid foundation without losing early wickets.
