India U-19 solid in reply to England U-19’s huge score

n By Paritosh Pramanik
NAGPUR, Feb 14

WHEN England Under-19 declared their innings at 501 for five an hour after lunch, it looked an imposing total. But the way Indians scored showed how strong they can be with the willow. After toiling for more than 11 hours, Indian openers showed no signs of fatigue as they knocked off 156 for 2, still 345 runs behind, at stumps on Day Two of the Youth Test at VCA, Jamtha.
Saurabh Singh (53) and Jonty Sidhu (23) were at the crease when play was called off. While the Indian bowlers failed to make much of an impact on a docile track, it was opener Abhishek Goswami (66; 96b, 13x4) and Singh who impressed with their assertive batting.
Goswami scored through boundaries and reached half century in just 72 deliveries with 11 fours. He took twelve runs from seamer Aaron Beard’s over, two consecutive boundaries off legs and then another through covers.
Singh, who came after the dismissal of opener Rohan Kunnummal (13), too, batted well and picked boundaries easily. 
A back-foot punch from 
Singh’s willow off Henry Brookes pierced through covers bisecting three fielders. 
If that was not enough he played a late cut to the same bowler which raced to third man boundary even as England skipper Max Holden looked in disbelief from second slip.
Singh completed his half century with a cover drive. His 107 balls innings was laced with nine hits to the fence.
Opener Kunnummal was also going great but was unlucky to be caught at square leg by Euan Woods who grabbed the ball in second attempt.
Goswami’s over two-hour long stay was cut short by left-armer Liam Patterson White in the 31st over. The batsman tried to play over the short mid on player but mistimed it and the ball landed in George Bartlett’s hands.
Earlier, England declared their innings at 501 for five an hour after lunch. Both the overnight batsmen, captain Max Holden and George Bartlett, failed to complete their double hundreds but made it sure that their team puts up a commanding total. Both fell on either side of the lunch as they added 321 runs for the second wicket from 498 balls.
Starting the day at 311, the two English batsmen added 67 runs more to their teams total before Bartlett was stumped. Bartlett scored 179 runs from 249 deliveries which had 25 boundaries and three sixes. He continued his aggressive way and took 18 runs in Singh’s over. He was stumped by Indian keeper Suresh Lokeshwar off Sijomon Joseph’s when he tried to step out to hit a big one.
At the other end Holden continued to score freely. With Delray Rawlings he added 40 runs for the third wicket as they took lunch at 399-2. 
The declaration looked near as after lunch Holden and Rawlings started taking chances with some big hits. Holden reverse-swept spinner Daryl Ferrario for a boundary and a delivery later again tried to sweep but failed to connect as the ball rattled his furniture. 
Rawlings, who had scored in abundance in the ODI series threw his bat all over as he raced to fifty in 80 balls. The powerful hitter slammed four boundaries and as many sixes in his unbeaten 70 runs innings.
Brief scores: 
England U-19 1st inn: 501/5 decl in 131.1 overs (M Holden 170, G Bartlett 179, D Rawlings 70*, K Seth 2/85). India U-19 1st inn: 156/2 (A Goswami 66, S Singh 53*, J Sidhu 23*, A Beard 1/44, Patterson 1/38).