Prithvi Shaw, Mayank Agarwal tons guide India A to 281-run win vs Leicestershire
Leicester: Opener Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal took a second string Leicestershire attack to cleaners as India A piled up a mammoth 458 for 4 to win the second warm-up game by a massive 281 runs ahead of their tri-nation one day series starting June 22.
India A's team total is currently the third highest in all List A matches behind Surrey's 496 against Gloucestershire in the 2007 One Day Championship and England's 481 for 6 against Australia in an ODI on Tuesday.
In reply to India's total, Leicestershire were all out for 177 in 40.4 overs with seamer Deepak Chahar picking up 3 for 24 in 6.4 overs. Pacer M Prasid Krishna. spinners Deepak Hooda and Axar Patel also chipped in with a couple of wickets each.
At the Grace Road ground, young Prithvi continued his red hot form with a 90-ball-132 and added 223 runs for the opening stand with other opener Mayank, who smashed his way to 151 off 106 balls before being called back to give others a chance.
The immensely talented Shubman Gill then hammered 86 off 54 balls to prop up the Indian total even as Rishabh Pant's (13) failure stuck out like a sore thumb.
Pant had narrowly missed the bus for India team selection and the pressure showed in his game as he failed in a tie where everyone scored.
In all, the Indian innings had 51 boundaries and 15 sixes. In that Prithvi's share was a whopping 20 boundaries and three sixes while Mayank, country's top run-getter in the previous domestic season, struck 18 boundaries and five sixes. Shubman hit seven fours and five sixes.
In fact, Prithvi bettered his previous best of 70 scored in the earlier game against ECB Board President's XI.
India A launched into rookie new ball bowler Ben Mike, who went for 46 in three overs, which included eight fours and a six. Both Shaw and Mayank hit a flurry of boundaries to get desired start and never looked back.
With Leicestershire fielding most of their second XI players, the Indians made merry hitting them on all sides of the Grace Road ground.
The home team's Pakistan origin off-spinner Ateeq Javed (2/91 in 10 overs) proved to be the most costly with 11 fours and two sixes being hit off him. Young Scot John Dickinson (0/87 in 10 overs) was also hammered by the Indian batsmen.
Brief Scores: India A 458/4 in 50 overs (Mayank Agarwal 151 off 106 retd, Prithvi Shaw 120 off 90 balls, Shubman Gill 86 off 54 balls, Ateeq Javid 2/91)
Leicestershire 177 in 40.4 overs (Tom Wells 62, Deepak Chahr 3/24, Deepak Hooda 2/9, Axar Patel 2/17, M Prasidh Krishna 2/48). India A win by 281 runs.
