Vaibhav Suryavanshi once again made headlines in the second Youth Test between India U-19 and England U-19 at the County Ground in Chelmsford, but his innings was short-lived. After impressing with an all-round performance in the first Test, Suryavanshi began Day 2 with a bang. Opening alongside captain Ayush Mhatre, he hammered 20 runs off just 14 balls, including a boundary and two towering sixes. However, his T20-style aggression couldn’t lead to a big score as he was dismissed by Alex Green, leaving India at 37 for 2, an early setback.
England U-19 Build a Competitive Total
Earlier in the day, England U-19 posted a solid 309 in their first innings, largely thanks to a gritty century from Ekansh Singh. Resuming his overnight score of 66, Singh went on to score 117 off 155 balls, featuring 14 boundaries and three sixes. He was the last man out, caught by Rahul Kumar off Vihaan Malhotra.
Singh’s innings helped England push past 300, and he played a key role in partnerships—first, a 90-run stand with captain Thomas Rew (59) and later, a crucial 100-run partnership with No. 9 batter James Minto. Minto added 46 off 89 balls, including one six and six fours.
India’s Bowlers Fight Hard on a Rain-Interrupted Day
India’s bowlers toiled hard on a rain-hit day. Leg-spinner Naman Pushpak was the standout performer, picking up 4 wickets for 76 runs. He broke the vital Singh-Minto partnership by dismissing Minto caught and bowled and also removed Green. Aditya Rawat (2/64) and RS Ambrish (2/56) claimed two wickets each, while Henil Patel (1/56) and Vihaan Malhotra (1/4) contributed one wicket each.
Rain Affects Play as India Reach 51/1 at Stumps
In reply, India U-19 reached 51 for 1 at stumps, still trailing by 258 runs. Mhatre was unbeaten on 20, with Malhotra on six. Rain played a major role, limiting play to only 28.3 overs, with multiple interruptions throughout the day. The final session saw only 3.1 overs bowled before play was called off.
Suryavanshi’s Hopes for a Stronger Second Innings
Suryavanshi, who impressed in the first Test with a quickfire 56 off 44 balls and two wickets, will be eager to make a stronger impact in the second innings as the match continues. The young opener will be hoping for a better, longer stay at the crease to contribute significantly in India’s chase.
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