Shardul Thakur and Nitish Kumar Reddy, who are vying for the lone seamer all-rounder spot in the Test team, performed below expectations against a tenacious England Lions batting unit. At the end of the third day’s play, the match seemed destined for a draw with the score at 527 for 7 in the first of the four-day games against India A. Seamer Mukesh Kumar (3/75 in 21 overs) delivered a noteworthy spell with the old Dukes ball in the morning, standing out in an otherwise lackluster bowling effort by India on Sunday. The Indian bowlers struggled to penetrate on a flat pitch, and Abhimanyu Easwaran’s captaincy, much like his batting, left much to be desired. Between Shardul (1/90 in 21 overs) and Reddy (0/57 in 11 overs), they bowled a combined 32 overs. Despite Shardul’s extended spell, neither bowler appeared capable of troubling Tom Haines (171) or Dan Mousley (113), who scored his maiden first-class century. While Reddy needed two spells to find his length, Shardul’s performance was at best uninspiring. Both are competing for the No.7 spot in the Indian Test team for the Leeds game but bowled at average speeds between 75 mph (120 kmph) and 78 mph (125 kmph). Shardul did claim a wicket, but the credit goes to Sarfaraz Khan, who took a brilliant one-handed catch at a slightly wide first slip off an over-pitched delivery, denying Haines a double century. It’s uncertain whether the duo, both in the Test squad, were instructed not to bowl at full intensity in the post-lunch and post-tea sessions. However, if the senior team management wanted to assess who could bowl 10-12 overs a day in English conditions, they may not have found a clear answer. In response to India A’s massive first innings score of 557, England A put up a strong batting performance with Haines and Max Holden (101) reaching centuries in the opening session. Besides the two left-handers, Dan Mousley also played confidently against the Indian attack. The Haines-Holden partnership of 181 runs for the third wicket was the backbone of the England Lions’ innings. The Haines-Mousley partnership added 93 runs, while Mousley and Zaman Akhter (38 not out) contributed another 108 runs for the seventh wicket. Mukesh Kumar bowled in the right areas, generating bounce and seam movement to dismiss Holden, James Rew (8), and Rehan Ahmed (3) in quick succession before lunch. Mukesh was the only bowler who managed to extract some assistance from the pitch, while Harshit Rana (0/84 in 22 overs) struggled to make an impact with his hard lengths. Anshul Kamboj (1/69 in 22 overs) bowled restrictive lines, as the Lions scored 290 runs throughout the day. Brief Scores: India A: 1st Innings 557. England Lions: 1st Innings 527/7 in 124 overs (Tom Haines 171, Max Holden 101, Dan Mousley 113, Mukesh Kumar 3/75).