India And Somerset Draw Tour Game

India And Somerset Draw Tour Game

Abhinav Mukund plays a shot on the final day of the drawn tour game between India and Somerset at Taunton

©Action Images / Ian Smith Livepic

Somerset 425-3 dec. & 260-2 dec. drew with
Indians 224 (Raina 103no) & 69-0
Tour game, Taunton
Scorecard

India opened their highly anticipated tour of England with a drawn tour game against Somerset at Taunton which saw the home side dominate most of the match.

England captain Andrew Strauss, making a guest appearance for the hosts, scored 78 and then an unbeaten 109 as he played himself into some form ahead of the first Test which begins on Thursday (21st July) at Lord's.

India, meanwhile, struggled with the ball and but for an unbeaten century from Suresh Raina in reply to Somerset's 425 for three declared, might have been embarrassed with the bat.

As it was, Raina's swashbuckling innings, which featured an 84-run tenth-wicket stand with Munaf Patel (6), steered India to 224 as Charl Willoughby returned six for 76.

Arul Suppiah had set up Somerset's score with 156 while there were also half-centuries for Nick Compton (88) and Chris Jones (51 not out).

In India's first innings, Sachin Tendulkar (26) became Craig Meschede's maiden first-class wicket when he was caught by Jos Buttler and before Raina sowed the seeds of recovery, they were in all sorts of trouble at 123 for seven.

Somerset decided not to enforce the follow-on, opting instead for more batting practice, which allowed Strauss to stroke a fluent 109 in 131 balls and Peter Trego to hammer seven fours and seven sixes on his way to a brutal 85 not out in 57 deliveries.

Somerset then declared on 260 for two, setting India a theoretical 462 to win in the final session and they closed the game on 69 without loss.

© Cricket World 2011