India A vs Sri Lanka An Unofficial Test. Dhruv Jurel and Shaik Rasheed hold the key as India A push for total dominance on Day 2

Day 1 Recap:

India A ended the opening day on 333/4 in 86 overs, with Sai Sudharsan making a classy century to lay the foundation for a dominant total. After the top order did its job, captain Dhruv Jurel (57)* and Shaik Rasheed (48)* frustrated the hosts with an unbeaten 98-run partnership, ensuring that India A ended the day firmly in control.

For Sri Lanka A, left-arm spinner Dilum Sudeera claimed the first breakthrough by dismissing opener Ayush Pandey (25), but the hosts struggled to make further inroads as India’s middle order were beaten by discipline and composure.

Day 2 Outlook:

India A will look to capitalize on their strong position by extending the Jurel-Rasheed partnership past the 100-run mark in the morning session. With plenty of batting to come, the visitors will be eyeing a first-innings total of over 500 before unleashing their bowling attack.

Sri Lanka A, on the other hand, need early wickets to prevent India A from piling up a big score. The first hour with the new ball could prove crucial if the hosts want to get back into the contest.

Pitch report:

The Galle International Stadium surface is expected to remain batting-friendly during the opening sessions on Day 2, offering good pace and carry. However, as the game progresses and the footmarks become clearer, the pitch tends to help spinners with more turn and variable bounce, making batting more challenging later in the game.

Sri Lanka A (Playing XI)

Pawantha Weerasinghe, Niroshan Dickwella(w), Nuwanidu Fernando, Ashen Bandara, Sahan Arachchige(c), Ravindu Fernando, Anjala Bandara, Kavindu Pathiratne, Dulaj Samuditha, Chamika Gunasekara, Dilum Sudeera

India A (Playing XI)

Sai Sudharsan, Ayush Pandey, Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Dhruv Jurel(w/c), Shaik Rasheed, Harsh Dubey, Saransh Jain, Anshul Kamboj, Yash Thakur, Auqib Nabi Dar