India's A side crashed to a 253-run defeat against England Lions after the tourists collapsed in a failed run chase on Thursday. The Indians had been set 421 to win at New Road but restricted to 167 for nine with last man Ankit Rajpoot absent hurt. Against an Indian team packed with international experience, England selectors Ed Smith and James Taylor had picked six players with Test caps in the Lions XI, including former captain Alastair Cook.
Cook's 180 in the first innings was the third-highest individual score in an A Test for the Lions or the England A and B teams who preceded them.
Nick Gubbins helped Cook set the tone with 73 on the first day, Dawid Malan eased back into red-ball mode with a half-century in each innings, and Ollie Pope marked his Lions debut with a sparky unbeaten 50 on day three. Sam Curran became the youngest bowler to take five wickets in an innings for England in an A Test, and ended with match figures of seven for 60.
Chris Woakes took a major step forward in his bid to prove his fitness for England's forthcoming Test Series against India. Jamie Porter and Matthew Fisher also impressed, while Somerset spinners Dom Bess and Jack Leach ended the match on a high. Bess claimed the scalps of Ajinkya Rahane and Rishabh Pant, for India's top scores of 48 and 61 respectively, and Leach forced Jayant Yadav to miscue to mid-off.
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