Finch, Rawlins & Robinson take on India A as part of ECB XI

India A fired a warning to England Lions and West Indies A ahead of the forthcoming Tri-Series with an emphatic victory over an ECB XI in the first game of their tour at Emerald Headingley.

The ECB XI contained three Sussex players: Harry Finch, Delray Rawlins and Ollie Robinson.

The Indians, coached by Rahul Dravid, had been due to play Yorkshire, but the ECB put together alternative opposition from county cricket because of the Vikings’ progress in the Royal London One-Day Cup.

India A fielded a team including three players with senior international experience and plenty of others who have made an impact in the Indian Premier League, and they quickly adapted to English conditions to post a total of 328 for eight – then dismissed the ECB XI for 203.

Prithvi Shaw, who captained India to victory in the ICC Under-19s World Cup in New Zealand earlier this year, set the tone with a sparkling innings of 70 from 61 balls including seven fours and three sixes.

Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyar, the tour captain who has made 12 white-ball international appearances, added half centuries at quicker than a run a ball, although the ECB XI did slow the run rate for periods with the Gloucestershire all-rounder Ryan Higgins the pick of the attack, earning four for 50 from his 10 overs.

Higgins had Shaw caught behind edging a drive to Alex Davies, the Lancashire wicketkeeper who was captaining the Board XI, and later in the same over bowled Hanuma Vihari off an inside edge.

Sussex all-rounder Rawlins picked up the wicket of Vijay Shankar, chipping to mid-on where Surrey’s Will Jacks took the second of his three catches, having already snapped up Mayank Agarwal at backward point off Tom Barber.

Rawlins then took two catches in consecutive balls to give Higgins his third and fourth wickets, following a simple take at long-off to dismiss Kishan with an acrobatic effort at mid-off to send back Iyar.

Robinson and Jamie Overton each picked up a wicket in the closing overs, although the Mumbai Indians all-rounder Krunal Pandya kept up the attack with 34 from 28 balls including two sixes.

The Indians were equally impressive with the ball, with their seamers especially relishing the gloomy conditions as the Headingley floodlights were switched on.

Deepak Chahar had Davies flicking to mid-wicket, and a promising innings from the Gloucestershire opener George Hankins ended on 27 when he pulled Khaleel Ahmed to mid-on.

Jacks hit two sixes before falling lbw to Axar Patel, a left-arm spinner who has played 38 ODIs for India, and the Derbyshire left-hander Ben Slater played some of the day’s best shots in making 37 from 38 balls before he edged Shankar behind.

That turned out to be the second top score of the innings, behind Slater’s county team-mate Matt Critchley, who was ninth out for 40.

Rawlins swept two boundaries off Patel but was bowled going for a third, Finch was bowled by a beauty from Prasidh Krishna, and Higgins was run out after a mix-up with Critchley.

Chahar, a 25-year-old seamer who was an IPL regular for Chennai Super Kings, polished off the last two wickets to end with three for 48.

India A now face Worcestershire at Blackfinch New Road on Tuesday before the first match of the Tri-Series against the Lions at the 3aaa County Ground in Derby on Friday.