by Headingley, 24, 25, 26, 27 August 1994
====> Day 1, 24 Aug 1994
VAUGHAN IN CONTROL - Gerald Howat
Two years ago at Headingley the Under-19 Sri Lankans had
England`s first three wickets down for one run. Without emulating
this, the Indians could feel reasonably pleased with taking seven
England wickets for 204 after putting them into bat in a day`s
play interrupted by rain and bad light. The wicket was described
by India`s manager, Sandeep Patil, as the best he had seen on the
tour and India`s seamers had first use of the track. Marcus
Trescothick, currently averaging 47.58 for Somerset, scored quck-
ly before lofting Iqbal Siddiqui to backward point. This brought
in the Test debutant, Anurag Singh, with two centuries already
against the Indians. After surviving two lbws he succumbed
without playing a shot. Nevertheless, as the best schoolboy
batsman of the year, he has now had his baptism of fire at this
level. Talking of levels, his grades of A, A, B ought to have
Cambridge interested in him reading law this October. Meanwhile,
the captain, Michael Vaughan, drove and square cut his way to 77
with 12 boundaries, emulated in some measure by fellow-
Yorkshireman Chris Schofield.
====> Day 2, 25 Aug 1994
DAWOOD IN CHARGE - Gerald Howat
This youth Test at halfway has all the makings of a dour struggle
for first-innings lead with India closing yesterday at 150 for
two in reply to England`s 348. Wicketkeepers, who bat at No 8 and
can make a century, as did England`s Ismail Dawood, are a valu-
able asset. India conceded their overnight advantage as 129 runs
were added before lunch with Dawood and Gary Keedy setting a
ninth-wicket record of 119. On a wicket which played easily,
India`s reply was led by Tarun Kumar, who hit 16 runs in the
first over. England lost the services of Kevin Innes through in-
jury after one ball but Steven Lugsden and Melvyn Betts generated
some pace.
====> Day 3, 26 Aug 1994
Singh maintains his momentum - Gerald Howat
India, one up in the three-match series against England, were
content to bat throughout the day yesterday at Headingley at the
rate of 2.40 runs an over. They finished on 393 for six, a lead
of 45 runs. After losing three early wickets - two of them to
Melvin Betts in his first six balls - India slowly advanced to a
first-innings lead by late afternoon. Jitender Singh has
been batting for 10 and a quarter hours adding 110 to his
overnight score of 51. He has a fine off drive - seen in some
of his 20 boundaries - but both he and Milap Mewada participated
in a long drawn-out war of attrition on a docile wicket in
which Michael Vaughan employed eight bowlers. Mewada, in fine
form in recent matches, took three hours over his 33. Alex
Morris had some success and Gary Keedy, as always, was
economical.
====> Day 4, 27 Aug 1994
Trescothick races to hundred in vain - Gerald Howat
Marcus Trescothick, of Somerset, will play better innings in more
serious circumstances, but few will be as carefree as the century
he scored in the closing stages of the drawn Under-19 Test
against India at Headingley on Saturday. The match took a long
time to die as India`s first innings marched inexorably on
throughout the fourth morning. Jitender Singh finally went
for 172 in 636 minutes and Sridharan Sriram almost apologeti-
cally reached his half-century in three hours. It is difficult
to find anything positive in India`s approach, other than their
desire to cling to their 1-0 lead in the series. A faster scor-
ing rate on Friday might have opened up the prospect of an in-
teresting last day. Trescothick and Michael Vaughan immediately
more than doubled the scoring rate in the half hour before
lunch, Trescothick racing to his 140, which included 20 fours
and three sixes, in 109 balls. Two younger players, Anurag Singh
and Alex Morris, gained confidence and experience in the mid-
dle. Morris is a tall and elegant left-hander who struck hard
and straight in his half-century. After taking three for 44
as well, this Yorkshire man looks a good all-round prospect.
England declared at 294 for six, 163 ahead, and India, who had
used 10 bowlers, declined to bat in the final half hour.
Thanks Daily Telegraph, John Hall, cricinfo database.