England Under-19s Rally After Early Collapse on Rain-Hit Opening Day Against India at Chelmsford

England Under-19s Rally After Early Collapse on Rain-Hit Opening Day Against India at Chelmsford

England Under-19s fought back valiantly after a dramatic top-order collapse on a rain-affected first day of the second Youth Test against India at Chelmsford. The hosts, reeling at 46 for four, ended the day at 229 for seven, thanks to half-centuries from captain Thomas Rew and all-rounder Ekansh Singh.

Inserted in overcast, seam-friendly conditions after a delayed start, England lost openers Ben Dawkins and Adam Thomas for ducks within the opening two deliveries of the match. Indian seamers Aditya Rawat and Henil Patel made early inroads, taking advantage of the damp pitch and low light under floodlights.

Despite the early setbacks, Aaryan Sawant and Rocky Flintoff briefly resisted before Rawat struck again, removing Flintoff with a sharp outswinger. Sawant’s gritty 20 was also cut short as Vihaan Malhotra took his second sharp catch in the slip cordon.

Ben Mayes led England’s initial recovery with a lively 31, counterattacking the Indian bowlers with authority. However, his promising innings ended when he edged a loose shot off RS Ambrish, having added 34 runs with Rew for the fifth wicket.

Rew, captaining the side in place of Hamza Sheikh, steadied the innings and gradually found fluency despite some early edges. The Somerset left-hander went on to score 59 and shared a crucial 90-run sixth-wicket stand with Kent’s Ekansh Singh, who remained unbeaten on 66 at stumps.

Singh, aggressive from the outset, launched a commanding counterattack, sweeping spinner Kanishk Chauhan for six and striking boundaries with authority. His fifty came off just 53 balls, blending power with elegant wristwork.

Spinner Naman Pushpak halted Rew’s progress with a clever googly that induced an edge to slip, but England’s lower order added vital runs. Ralphie Albert chipped in with 16, while James Minto supported Singh with an unbeaten 18 as the home side edged toward a competitive total.

For India, Rawat and Ambrish finished with two wickets apiece, while Pushpak also claimed two late scalps, helping to slow England's momentum in the final session.

With more rain potentially forecast, day two promises to be pivotal in determining the direction of this closely contested Youth Test.

 

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