Shaw 188, Samarth 137 chart India A revival
Associated Press
India A turned a 250-run deficit into a 359-run lead to give West Indies A a scare in the four-day game at Kent county cricket ground in Beckenham, before they had to settle for a draw. India’s bowlers reduced West Indies to 188 for 6 in the chase but Raymon Reifer followed his 52 in the first innings with a stubborn 11 not out of 74 balls to deny India.When Rahkeem Cornwall was dismissed – trapped lbw by left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem – India A needed three wickets in 6.1 overs to pull off a coup. Reifer and Jomel Warrican then soaked up 31 balls to hold off India.The first day was also as dramatic with India tumbling to 133 all out in 42.1 overs, with seamers Chemar Holder and Sherman Lewis claiming four wickets each for West Indies A. At stumps on the first day, West Indies moved to a 15-run lead with seven wickets in the shed.Sunil Ambris, who had made his Test debut against New Zealand last year, made 128 off 165 balls to swell the lead to 250. Ankit Rajpoot, who had toured South Africa as a net bowler earlier this year, was the pick of the bowlers for India with 4 for 76.Out for a first-ball duck in the first innings, Prithvi Shaw, who already had five first-class centuries coming into the game, led a strong response with 188 off 169 balls, including 28 fours and two sixes. He had put on 181 for the opening stand with Mayank Agarwal, who contributed 68 off 82 balls.Agarwal’s Karnataka team-mates R Samarth (137) and Karun Nair (93), in the running for a Test spot for England, then propelled India to 609 for 6 before they declared. But just as India threatened a come-from-behind victory, West Indies’ tail found an escape route.