Harmison Jr holds England together

England Under-19 189 for 4 (Harmison 40*) trail India Under-19 472 for 4 dec (Pujara 211, Tewari 109) by 283 runs
Scorecard

At the close of the second day's play at Jamshedpur, England Under-19's hopes of avoiding a 3-0 series whitewash against India were resting on the shoulders of Ben Harmison, the younger brother of the Test paceman, Steve. Harmison Jr was unbeaten at stumps on 40 not out, as England reached 189 for 4 in reply to India's hefty first innings of 472 for 4 declared.

It was another arduous day for England's young cricketers, who watched and learned during the first session as Cheteshwar Pujara converted his overnight 162 into a brilliant double-century, and M Tewari recorded a century of his own in a 217-run stand for the third wicket. Both men eventually fell in quick succession to give England's spirits a timely lift, and when the declaration eventually came, their own openers responded in kind.

Michael O'Shea and Joe Denly added 81 for the first wicket, but the needless run out of the captain, Steven Davies, for 4 put England back under pressure at 99 for 2. Denly and Harmison then added 74 for the third wicket to carry England towards their initial goal of avoiding the follow-on, only for two late wickets to dent their prospects. But with Harmison unbeaten at the close, England still harbour hopes of a face-saving draw.