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India A vs West Indies A: Bhargav Bhatt and Abhishek Nayar keep India A in the hunt

Virender Sehwag has made his intentions clear by permanently shifting to the middle order, but nothing of note has followed

There was not much to pick between the two sides as India A came back from behind twice, first through Bhargav Bhatt and then through the fourth-wicket partnership between Vasudevan Jagadeesh and Abhishek Nayar, to end Day Two of the second unofficial Test match on 191/3 at the Jawaharlal Nehru National College of Engineering Ground, Shimoga.

Resuming the day on 283/6, West Indies A kept the Indian bowlers at bay until the fall of Leon Johnson to Bhargav Bhatt, for a 131-ball 91, which triggered the collapse as the left-arm spinner added three more to his tally to restrict the visitors to 406.

Nikita Miller, who was involved in a 97-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Johnson, remained unbeaten on 64 as Bhatt picked up a seven-wicket haul for India A.

In reply, with the score at 114/3 and all of Gautam Gambhir (11), Cheteshwar Pujara (25) and Virender Sehwag (7) back in the hut, India A were venturing towards yet another meek surrender with the bat, in follow-up to the surprisingly unsatisfactory performances in their earlier face-offs, till they found an unlikely hand from Vasudevan Jagadeesh and Abhishek Nayar.

The pair put together an unbeaten 77-run partnership for the fourth wicket to save the face and take their team to 191/3 at the end of the day.

Jagadeesh played a patient knock of 79 off 172 balls while Nayar took the West Indian bowlers to cleaners with a fast-paced 38-ball 56.

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