India A clinch series by chasing 278 after Gowtham five-for

After clinching a 4-1 series win in the one-day leg of the tour, India A have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match unofficial Test series against West Indies A. The visitors sealed a seven-wicket win with a resounding bowling performance despite conceding a 128-run lead in the first innings. India A then went on to chase 278 for the loss of only three wickets with half-centuries from Priyank Panchal, Mayank Agarwal, Abhimanyu Easwaran and Anmolpreet Singh.

Panchal was the top-scorer of the match, following up on his first-innings 58 with a 68 in the second dig. During the chase, he stitched together a 150-run opening stand with Agarwal whose 81 featured 10 fours. The duo fell within the space of five overs and No. 4 Hanuma Vihari followed suit, falling for 1, but an unbroken 100-run stand between Easwaran and Anmolpreet, who struck 59 and 51 respectively, blunted the West Indies A attack and helped wrap up the win.

Chemar Holder, the pick of the West Indies attack, took 2 for 51 in the second innings to add to his first-innings returns of 5 for 54, his second first-class five-wicket haul. In the first innings, the right-arm fast bowler ran through the India A top five as they rolled over for 190, with Easwaran, Vihari and Anmolpreet falling for ducks. Save for Panchal, and No. 7 Shivam Dube (79 off 85), no India A batsman could go past 20. Holder was ably supported by fellow quicks Romario Shepherd and Raymon Reifer, who bagged three and two wickets respectively. This was in reply to the hosts' 318, which they put together on the back of half-centuries from Montcin Hodge, Shamarh Brooks and Rahkeem Cornwall, who scored an unbeaten 56 at No. 8. Mohammed Siraj and Mayank Markande took three wickets each.

West Indies A, however, could only add 149 to their lead as offspinner K Gowtham, who went wicketless in the first four-dayer, took 5 for 17 in only 7.5 overs, helping skittle out the home side inside 40 overs. The early damage, however, was done by Sandeep Warrier, who reduced the opposition to 12 for 4 in the sixth over. Had it not been for Sunil Ambris' 71 and Jermaine Blackwood's 31, the hosts might have struggled to put on a competitive total.