Saini, Saurabh give India A opening-day honours

India 120 for 0 (Jaiswal 63*, Easwaran 53*) lead Bangladesh A 112 (Mosaddek63. Saurabh 4-23. Saini 2-31.) by eight runs

India A won the opening day honours against Bangladesh A by winning the unofficial Test at Cox’s Bazar.

Bangladesh A were put in to bat and scored 112, with Saini Hossain and Mukesh scoring five out of the top six runs. Mosaddek’s 63 was responsible for the fact that the hosts managed to rebound from a score of 63 to reach three figures.

However, it wasn’t just India’s fast bowlers who impressed. Saurabh Kumar (left-arm spinner) finished with 4 for 23. This performance is important because Saurabh could be allowed to return to the Test squad if Ravindra Jadeja is not able to play in the December series.

India A’s openers were able to beat Bangladesh A’s total with the bat and ended the day 120-runs without losing. Yashasvi jaiswal’s first-class initiation was even stronger. He was unbeaten on 63 and has a chance to bring up a sixth first class century in only his eighth match. Abhimanyu, an India A veteran, was 53 out.

Saini, who clean bowled Mahmudul Havesan Joy (one of eight Bangladesh A Test players), with a delivery that was late and beat his outside edge, was the one who took the first blood. Mukesh was then caught behind by Zakir Hasan who had been the top-scorer at the NCL first-class competition. Mominul Haque misjudged a nip backer from the stumps.

Mominul’s dismissal from Bangladesh could be cause for concern in the camp, as it was his first against an overseas team since he was dropped from the Test side in West Indies earlier this year.

Saini was not done yet. He Najmul Hossain Shaikh was caught at the third slip. Before Mohammad Mithun recklessly chased a wide one, he got Najmul. Bangladesh A were now 26 for 5.

Mosaddek revived the innings by delivering a half-century with six fours, three sixes, one sixes and, after becoming the eighth batter to be struck out, the hosts were able to add four more runs to their total to score 112.

India A’s openers posted calmly half-centuries as their replies. They reached 14 boundaries all in, while Taijul Islam and Khaled Ahmed struggled to find consistency. Mithun tried four more times of Nayem Hazan and Mosaddek, but failed to find a breakthrough.