Karun Nair was beauty itself as he, alongside the ever-consistent Sarfaraz Khan, served the Gautam Gambhir-led team management with a sophisticated unbeaten 186 as India A dominated 409 for 3 against below-par England Lions on the first day of the first 'Unofficial' Test in Canterbury on Friday.

Though Nair is used to bat at No. 4 or lower in first-class cricket, he seemed very comfortable while playing his unbeaten ball knock that left the Lions bowlers, including their Test sensation Rehan Ahmed, looking utterly pedestrian. India A batsmen, especially Nair and Sarfaraz Khan , utilized loose balls to the best of their abilities, but the standard of Lions bowling attack and the nature of the track perhaps may not be the right representation of what one can anticipate in Test cricket.

Experience Pays Off for the Vidarbha Star

The Bengaluru man, now a Vidarbha player, drew upon his rich experience of representing English County Northamptonshire in his 24th first-class hundred.

His 24 fours and a six in his innings could not have arrived at a better juncture as Gambhir has been left worried about his batting lineup for the opening Test against England at Leeds from June 20.

Sarfaraz Khan Shines Again, but Misses Out on Ton

Sarfaraz Khan (92 off 119 balls) mixed a little bit of muscle and lots of cheekiness but fell short of a three-figure score after having done all the hard work. He has not been selected in India’s Test series against England.

The pair contributed 181 runs for the third wicket partnership and then Dhruv Jurel (82 batting, 104 balls) took advantage during another 177-run stand for the unbroken fourth wicket partnership.

Call it irony, just the way Nair had beaten Sarfaraz as the additional batter in the Test team, he also overpowered the Mumbai man on a flat track where the Lions’ attack lacked enough bite to ruffle some of the veteran India stars. Leaking 51 boundaries and three sixes in 90 overs doesn’t provide a good read.

Jaiswal, Easwaran Fail to Capitalize on Starts

Yashasvi (24 off 55 balls) batted through the first hour but failed to make use of the beginning with Abhimanyu Easwaran (8) demonstrating why he is not made for the big league by being lucky enough to receive another chance at Test team.

The Canterbury County ground pitch had a slight greenish tint but there was barely any lateral movement available. Nair had time to play shots and was ruthless against all bowlers with plenty of shots square of the wicket.

Rehan Ahmed Disappoints, Sarfaraz Plays Inventive Shots

Rehan, the English Test leg-spinner, was very pedestrian as he got hammered for 95 runs from 16 overs. Sarfaraz, actually, hit him inside-out for a boundary to reach his fifty and also hit him straight for a six, and against pacers, utilized the bounce to play the ramp shot over slips for valuable runs.

Nair was harsh on anything that was short pitched and majestic-looking whenever he rocked back to play the pull shot. Off-spinner Dan Mousley used to bowl, and time and again, he played the reverse sweep with ease.

Sarfaraz Khan Falls, but Jurel and Nair Continue Dominance

The pair farmed the strike without much fuss and when Sarfaraz lazily pursued a wide ball from Hull down the leg-side, even Lions bowlers did not anticipate a wicket.

But it was short-lived joy, for there was no taking foot off the pedal from Nair or Jurel, who persisted in demonstrating contempt for home team bowlers.

India A: 409/3 in 90 overs (Karun Nair 186 batting; Sarfaraz Khan 92, Dhruv Jurel 82 batting; Josh Hull 2/51).