Canterbury: Pacer Mukesh Kumar struck three quick blows as India A staged a fine comeback despite Max Holden’s eighth first-class hundred, as England Lions stumbled to 333 for five at lunch on the penultimate day of the four-day Unofficial Test here on Sunday.Overnight centurion Tom Haines (142, 208 balls) is still out there and Dan Mousley (2) is keeping him company at the break. The Lions are now trailing by 224 runs.Mukesh bowled with a lot more venom in this session, getting his lengths correct and he was rewarded with three wickets of Holden (101, 101b), Lions’ skipper James Rew (8) and Rehan Ahmed (3).Holden hung his bat outside the off-stump to be caught behind by Dhruv Jurel, while Rew was trapped leg-before by a deliverer that was straightened up.Ahmed’s cavalier waft outside ended in the hands of Sarfaraz Khan at second slip.England Lions lost three wickets inside 14 runs to give away the advantage handed to them by Haines and Holden during their 181-run partnership for the third wicket.Holden, a former England U19 skipper and a prodigy of former pacer Angus Fraser, was quite impressive while bringing up his hundred off 99 balls.The 26-year-old left-hander reached the landmark after seven first-class innings without even a fifty, flicking pacer Shardul Thakur for a single to fine leg.Haines, a protege of former India coach Gary Kirsten, however, held his ground and ensured that the Lions will not suffer further damage.Brief scores: India A: 557 vs England A: 333/5 in 75 overs (Tom Haines 142 batting, Max Holden 101; Mukesh Kumar 3/56). PTI UNGKHS06011743NNNN
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