India A complete domination with tri-series title

Fresh from a relatively easy 2-0 whitewash over minnows Ireland, India's real test on the tour will start on Tuesday when the Virat Kohli-led brigade will be up against a formidable England side in the first of the three-match Twenty20 International series at the Old Trafford here.

Fresh from a relatively easy 2-0 whitewash over minnows Ireland, India's real test on the tour will start on Tuesday when the Virat Kohli-led brigade will be up against a formidable England side in the first of the three-match Twenty20 International series at the Old Trafford here.

While India has been a consistent limited overs side over the past 6-7 years, England has of late lifted their game in coloured clothes by miles, thanks to a group of fantastic limited overs players like Jos Buttler, Jason Roy and Ben Stokes.

Going by current form, both sides are at par on paper, with India having won 15 of their last 20 T20 Internationals, including the Nidahas Trophy in Sri Lanka and the bilateral away series against South Africa. 

England, on the other hand, will head to the series on the back of a 6-0 drubbing of Australia with Buttler, Roy, Jonny Bairstow in good form.

Regrouping after almost a three-month long gap, India used the Ireland T20Is as a good warm-up, registering facile wins of 72 and 143 runs but more importantly giving the whole squad good game time before the challenging series against the Englishmen.

Going into Tuesday's series opener, India is expected to play around with set combinations which means Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma teaming up at the top of the order.

With veteran Suresh Raina in great hitting form at No.3, and skipper Kohli at No.4, it will be interesting to see if the team management includes the in-form Lokesh Rahul in the middle order.

All eyes will also be on the former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who was in great touch in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for eventual champions Chennai Super Kings.

India A completed their domination in the 50-over tri-series with a five-wicket thumping of England Lions in the final at the Kennington Oval here.

It was yet another complete performance from the Indians, who restricted the Lions to 264 for nine before breezing to the target in 48.2 overs courtesy Rishabh Pant (64 not out off 62 balls), Mayank Agarwal (40 off 41) and captain Shreyas Iyer (44 off 44).

The pace trio of Shardul Thakur (2/42), Deepak Chahar (3/58) and Khaleel Ahmed (3/48) had brought back India A in the game after Lions were comfortably placed at 185 for two in the 34th over.

Sam Hain's 108 off 122 balls went in vain and so did the effort of Liam Livingstone (83 off 82).

India A never looked back after losing the tri-series opener to Lions, beating the hosts and the West Indies A twice to lift the trophy.

While Pant starred in the all-important final, the undisputed star batsman of the series was Agarwal whom the national selectors will find difficult to ignore following his three hundreds on the tour.

"It was a good test for me as well as the team. Both teams fought hard through the series," said Pant, who will be staying back for the three unofficial Tests against England Lions and West Indies A.

"The boys have been practising really hard and eventually we got the result we wanted. Everyone wants to play the country and if you do well, you will get the chance," added Pant, who was ignored for the ongoing limited overs series between India and England.

Chahar and Krunal Pandya are the two players from the squad who have been called up for India's three-match T20 series against England.

Chahar was rewarded for his performance on the A tour where he has picked 16 wickets so far including 10 in tri-series.

U-19 stars Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill too gave a good account of themselves. Shaw struck a 102 against the West Indies A while Gill scored a couple of half centuries.