The second Unofficial Test between England Lions and India A begins on June 6, 2025, at The County Ground, Northampton. This match serves as a crucial preparatory fixture for India ahead of their upcoming five-match Test series in England. The series opener in Canterbury ended in a high-scoring draw, setting the stage for both teams to address key areas and fine-tune their squads.
The Indian batting unit excelled in the drawn first Test, with Karun Nair scoring a double hundred and Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel and Yashasvi Jaiswal also making significant contributions. The bowling, however, struggled to make decisive breakthroughs on a flat pitch.
Tom Haines anchored the Lions’ reply with a big hundred and Dan Mousley also impressed. Their bowlers, led by Josh Hull, had to work hard for wickets on a placid surface.
England Lions vs India A, 2nd Unofficial Test: Match Details
- Dates: June 6 – June 9, 2025
- Venue: County Ground, Northampton
- Start Time: 10:30 am GMT/ 11:00 am local/3:30 om IST
For India A, the second game is a vital opportunity for fringe players and returning stars like KL Rahul to stake their claim ahead of the senior Test series. England Lions, meanwhile, will want to leverage home conditions and test their bench strength, including the experienced Chris Woakes, against a strong Indian lineup.
Head-to-Head Record: England Lions vs India A
- Matches Played: 7
- England Lions won: 1
- India A won: 3
- Draws: 3
Pitch Report
The County Ground in Northampton is expected to offer a batting-friendly surface, similar to Canterbury. If the pitch remains flat, it may not provide the ideal challenge for India A’s batters ahead of the senior Test series, but it will test the bowlers’ patience and skill.
Also READ: India A batters’ exceptional outing against England Lions ends the 1st unofficial Test in a draw
Squads
England Lions: Tom Haines, Ben McKinney, Emilio Gay, Max Holden, James Rew (c & wk), Jordan Cox, Chris Woakes, Josh Tongue, Ajeet Dale, Farhan Ahmed, Rocky Flintoff, Edward Jack, George Hill
India A: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran (c), Karun Nair, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shardul Thakur, Harsh Dubey, Anshul Kamboj, Harshit Rana, Mukesh Kumar, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Khaleel Ahmed, Tushar Deshpande, Akash Deep, Manav Suthar, Tanush Kotian, Ruturaj Gaikwad
Live Streaming details
Fans in India can catch the live action on the Sony LIV app and website, while viewers in the rest of the world can stream it on the ECB website.
