England’s back-up bowlers were made to sweat by Haryana’s unheralded batsmen on the second day of the four-day match in Ahmedabad on Friday. According to a report in The Hindu, the tourists, who revelled on the slow pitch to pile up 521 in their first innings, also found wickets hard to come as Haryana cruised to 172 for four by stumps.
“Opener Rahul Dewan was unbeaten on 77 and Sunny Singh made 55, the pair making light of England’s attack with a 97-run partnership for the second wicket. Tim Bresnan claimed two for 47, but pacemen Stuart Meaker and Graham Onions went wicket-less on a day when play was held up briefly as a monkey ran across the outfield. England was without four frontline bowlers, including the rested James Anderson, for the final warm-up game before the first Test that begins on November 15,” says the report, adding that pace bowlers Stuart Broad and Steven Finn are recovering from injuries, while off-spinner Graeme Swann has flown home to attend to his sick daughter.
According to a report in Deccan Chronicle, Haryana spinners took five of the six wickets that fell in the day although England scored at a brisk pace, adding 113 runs in 28.2 overs after resuming at 408 for three.
Dewan (77) and Sandeep Singh (2) were at the crease for Haryana when stumps were drawn for the day. England lost the last five wickets for just 14 runs as they went after the bowlers.
Jayant Yadav (4/110) took three wickets today while Test discard Amit Mishra (4/67) added two scalps to his tally as the two spinners shared eight wickets between them.
Sachin Rana provided the first breakthrough when he dismissed Ian Bell (62). Samit Patel and Matt Prior (41) added quick 69 runs for the fifth wicket but once the latter was stumped off Jayant Yadav Yadav, England's innings fell apart.
Meanwhile a mini-diplomatic row was averted with timely intervention from the England and Indian cricket boards on the second day of the England-Haryana warmup game here on Friday, says a report in The Times Of India, adding that England’s regular wicketkeeper Mat Prior was unwell and also vomited a little before the tea break. So during the tea break, England skipper Alastair Cook went to ask the umpires if 12th man Jonny Bairstow could keep wickets as Prior was “seriously unwell”.
But as per cricketing rules, the 12th man can’t bowl, bat or keep wickets, he can only field. Amiesh Saheba, going by the rule book, disagreed. Cook was then heard telling Saheba that he too knows the rules but at certain times they can also “use some common sense”. So Prior was back on the field keeping wickets.