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The unofficial Test match between India A and England Lions in Canterbury has unfolded as a high-scoring affair, with batsmen dominating the proceedings on both days. After India A posted a formidable total of 557, powered by Karun Nair's magnificent double century, the England Lions responded strongly, led by Tom Haines's brilliant hundred and century stands with Emiliano Gay and Max Holden. Haines's innings has kept the Lions in the game, but they still face a significant deficit of 320 runs. The match has been a testament to the batting-friendly conditions at Canterbury, which have allowed batsmen from both sides to flourish and score freely. The bowlers have struggled to make inroads, with only occasional breakthroughs punctuating the flow of runs. The story of the match so far is one of dominant batting performances and the challenge for the bowlers to find a way to stem the tide and turn the game in their favor. The first innings by India A was a masterclass in how to build a large total on a good batting track. After resuming the second day at 409/3, the Indian batsmen continued to pile on the runs, taking advantage of the excellent conditions. While they adopted a more aggressive approach in their pursuit of quick runs, they also ensured they were able to add some valuable runs. Dhruv Jurel looked set for a century but fell just short, dismissed by Ajeet Dale for 94. Nair, however, continued his imperious form and reached his double century, pulling a short ball to fine-leg for his 26th boundary. However, this brought an end to his long and illustrious innings. The Lions bowlers, however, were guilty of not being able to apply sustained pressure, often releasing the pressure with loose deliveries. This allowed the Indian batsmen to maintain the momentum and keep the scoreboard ticking. The lower order also made useful contributions, with Shardul Thakur scoring a quick-fire 27 and Harsh Dubey remaining unbeaten on 32. The Lions bowlers eventually managed to wrap up the innings, with Zaman Akhter and Josh Hull taking three wickets each, but they had already conceded a significant total. England Lions began their innings with the aim of reducing the deficit and putting pressure back on the India A bowlers. Anshul Kamboj provided an early breakthrough, dismissing Ben McKinney with a ball that nipped away and uprooted the off-stump. However, after that, the Lions's batting began to gain momentum and flourish. The Lions batters then embarked on a rebuild with Haines and Gay. Mukesh Kumar struggled with his line and length, which allowed Gay to score boundaries with ease. Thakur should have dismissed Haines early in his innings, but Jaiswal dropped a tough chance in the slip cordon. Haines and Gay then capitalized, stitching a half-century stand and pushing the score to 75 by Tea. Run-scoring became easier in the final session. The introduction of Dubey's left-arm spin prompted Haines and Gay to employ sweep shots to disrupt his rhythm. Their 109-run partnership ended when Gay edged a sweep onto his boot, leading to a catch at first slip. India then introduced Nitish Reddy in the 42nd over and the all-rounder struggled with line and length which allowed Holden to hit the innings's first six as he raced to his half-century. Haines received another life on 83 when Easwaran dropped a catch off Harshit Rana. Haines then went on to complete his century, finishing unbeaten on 103 at stumps.
Source: Haines hundred fuels Lions response after Karun Nair's 204