Dhruv Jurel shines with twin fifties against England Lions, Yashasvi Jaiswal fires on final day for India A

Dhruv Jurel scored 53* in the second innings and Yashasvi Jaiswal blazed a 60-ball 64 as India A played out a high-scoring draw against England Lions in Canterbury.

Dhruv Jurel continued to impress in red-ball cricket, producing twin fifties in the opening unofficial India A vs England Lions Test at the St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury, which ended in a high-scoring draw on Monday.

Jurel, who plays for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League, showcased his growing maturity with the bat, scoring a composed 94 in India A's first innings total of 557.

His effort was part of a dominant batting display headlined by Karun Nair’s commanding double century and a 92 from Sarfaraz Khan. In reply, the England Lions put up an even more robust response, piling on 587 runs.

In the second innings, Dhruv Jurel – who walked in one-down – accelerated the scoring rate, hammering an unbeaten 53 off just 53 deliveries, including four boundaries.

Royals team-mate, Yashasvi Jaiswal, made a statement of his own with a blistering 64 off 60 balls at the top of the order. His innings featured eight fours and two sixes, injecting momentum into India A’s approach on the final day.

Skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran and Nitish Kumar Reddy also notched up rapid half-centuries, as India A raced to 241/2 in just 41 overs before the match concluded in a draw.

Tushar Deshpande, another Rajasthan Royals representative in the squad, was part of the touring party but did not feature in the series opener.

The second India A vs England Lions unofficial Test will begin on Friday at Northampton. The India A tour schedule also includes a match against India, slated for next week.

Both Jurel and Jaiswal, who scored 24 in the first innings, are part of the Indian cricket team, slated to play England in the upcoming five-match Test series, which starts on June 20.

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