Joshua Tongue dismantles India A innings - England Lions fight back in Northampton

Joshua Tongue spearheaded England Lions' resurgence against India A in Northampton, swiftly dismantling the visitors' innings on the second morning.
He dismissed the two overnight batters, Tanush Kotian and Anshul Kamboj, within 10 deliveries, and a direct hit from Tongue sent Tushar Deshpande packing, ending India A's innings at 348 runs.

Despite trailing by 156 runs with England Lions at 192/3, the home side showed resilience. Emilio Gay scored a solid 71, while Tom Haines followed up his first unofficial Test century with a half-century, contributing 54 runs to the steady reply.

The innings was anchored by Gay and Haines, who led the fightback after India A's strong total, which included a century from KL Rahul (116) and a half-century from Dhruv Jurel (52). Chris Woakes also impressed with the ball, taking 3 wickets for 50 runs.

Tongue's impactful bowling spell was crucial in halting India A's momentum, giving England Lions a platform to build on in the second unofficial Test. The match remains finely poised as England Lions look to close the gap and challenge India A's dominance.

"Joshua Tongue helmed the task of quickly dismantling what was left of the visitors' innings," highlighting his key role in the contest.

The fightback by England Lions, led by Tongue's bowling and the steady batting of Gay and Haines, sets up an intriguing second innings battle in Northampton.

Joshua Tongue led England Lions' fightback in Northampton by swiftly dismantling India A's innings, taking key wickets including Tanush Kotian and Anshul Kamboj. Despite trailing by 156 runs, England Lions showed resilience with Emilio Gay scoring 71 and Tom Haines 54 in their reply.