5 Takeaways from India A's 1st warm-up match against England

The Brabourne crowd was sent into delirium when Ambati Rayudu made way for MS Dhoni

A packed Brabourne Stadium played host to the first warm-up match between India ‘A’ and England XI. The game was billed as MS Dhoni’s last appearance as captain even as Yuvraj Singh’s comeback into the ODI squad remained another major talking point.

Eoin Morgan won the toss and decided to insert the hosts in on an even-paced surface. After an early hiccup, India ‘A’ managed to compile a robust total. Despite a stern examination by spin during the middle-overs, England XI had enough firepower to get past the finishing line.

Brief Scores: India A – 304/5 from 50 overs (Rayudu 100**, Dhoni 68*, Dhawan 63, Yuvraj 56, Willey 2/55); England XI – 307/7 from 48.5 overs (Billings 93, Roy 62, Buttler 46, Kuldeep 5/60)

Result – England XI won by 3 wickets with 7 balls remaining

(**Note: Ambati Rayudu retired out at the end of the 41^st over)

#5 Shikhar Dhawan’s sedate start

After being kept out of action due to a thumb injury, Shikhar Dhawan saw his Test spot usurped by KL Rahul. At the beginning of last year, he was dropped for the semi-finals of the 2016 World T20. With a flurry of promising batsmen emerging, the left-hander needs to have an eye-catching 3-match series against England to salvage his ODI place.

Alongside a cautious Mandeep Singh at the other end, Dhawan too struggled to find his rhythm straightaway. With the singles not coming easily, he shifted his attention to finding the boundary. However, England’s bowlers did not give an inch, which piled on the pressure.

As Ambati Rayudu added impetus to the innings, Dhawan too began to get into the groove. Upon labouring to an 84-ball 63, his stay was ended by a good length delivery from Jake Ball.