India A vs England Lions: One of my best spells, says Navdeep Saini

The Delhi seamer bagged his third five-wicket haul in 42 first class games and described it as one of the best performances of his career.

Navdeep Saini said he was happy to help India A take the upper hand against England Lions by returning with a five-wicket haul.

Navdeep Saini had an unforgettable day at the Wayanad Cricket Stadium on a lovely Friday evening. His five-wicket haul not only merely helped India-A dismiss England Lions in the first four-day match for less-than-daunting total, but helped put his case forward in the fiercely competitive world of Indian pacers.

“This was certainly one of the best performances of my career,” the Delhi seamer said, on his third five-wicket haul in 42 first class games.

“The conditions weren’t helpful for seam bowling, but I kept bowling in the right channel.”

Saini said he was happy to help his team take the upper hand. “Now our batsmen are playing really well. We enjoyed watching K.L. Rahul and Priyank Panchal bat.”

England seamer Lewis Gregory complimented the Indian batting, too. “We know Rahul is a class player. Panchal also batted well. They applied well and made it difficult for us to take any wickets," he said.

He said the team was hoping to come back and hit hard on the third day morning. “The wicket is on the slow side. The new ball becomes soft very soon. And yes, we should have put up a bigger score after the good position was in at stumps on the second day.”