India A take control in Galle: Sudharsan’s masterclass, Jurel-Rasheed leave Sri Lanka AND chase shadows

Sai Sudharsan (Image credit: BCCI) NEW DELHI: India A asserted their authority on the opening day of the first unofficial Test against Sri Lanka A as they finished on a commanding 333/4 in Galle on Thursday.Opting to bat first, the visitors were buoyed by a flowing century from Sai Sudharsan, who made a composed 132 off 175 deliveries. The left-hander was in great touch from the start, combining solid defense with elegant strokeplay to contain the Sri Lankan bowlers for much of the day.Sudharsan found the perfect balance between patience and aggression, punishing anything that came loose while respecting the conditions on a surface that offered help to the bowlers at times. His opening stand of 82 runs with Aayush Pandey (25) ensured a steady start before India A briefly stumbled with the loss of wickets at the other end.Even after Devdutt Padikkal’s early dismissal and a brief period of consolidation, Sudharsan ensured India A remained firmly in control. His 19 boundaries reflected both fluidity and authority as he absorbed the pressure and shifted gears once he settled down.

Jurel and Rasheed extend their dominance

Sudharsan’s dismissal at 217/4 brought no relief to the hosts as skipper Dhruv Jurel and Shaik Rasheed put on an unbeaten partnership of 116 runs for the fifth wicket.Leading from the front, Jurel played a composed knock of 68 not out, rotating his strike intelligently and capitalizing on loose deliveries. He was superbly complemented at the other end by Rasheed with a confident unbeaten 53, showing maturity against both pace and spin.The duo ensured that India A did not lose momentum in the final over, maintaining a healthy scoring rate of 3.87 runs per over in 86 games.The Sri Lanka A bowlers toiled hard but had limited success, with left-armer Dilum Sudeera returning figures of 2/98 from a long 29-over spell. However, a lack of consistent breakthroughs allowed India A to build partnerships throughout the day.

India A firmly in command

According to the stumps, India A’s dominance through a steady partnership and disciplined batting was the story of the day. From Sudharsan’s effort to anchor the Jurel-Rasheed stand, the visitors were in control from start to finish.With the momentum firmly on their side, India A will look to build on the remaining days of the four-dayer and convert their strong start into an impressive first innings total.