USA put up a befitting fight against India’s 239-run target:Lose by 38 runs in T20 World Cup warm-up match; Tilak slams 38 off 24 on comeback

India A won the first warm-up against the USA here at the DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, on Monday. Men in Blue posted 238 runs in 20 overs with Narayan Jagadeesan’s ton and Ayush Badoni’s unbeaten 60. It was not just skipper Badoni who stood out in mounting the massive total in the 1st innings. Tilak Varma also left an impact after his return from a groin injury, which he sustained in the Vijay Hazare Trophy while playing for Hyderabad. Mayank Yadav also marked his return, appearing in competitive cricket for the first time since 4th May, but he could not get the chance to bat. Narayan Jagadeesan slams ton in 49 balls, skipper Badoni’s quickfire attack Priyansh Arya charged the USA bowlers right from the start. He scored 28 runs in 13 deliveries alongside opener Narayan Jagadeesan. However, he soon got out while Jagadeesan got off to a flying start, while rotating the scoreboard. He first completed a 27-ball half-century and then slammed a 49-ball ton to keep India A steady in the middle. Tilak Varma tried to score with occasional boundaries, hitting 38. However, after his dismissal, Ayush Badoni led from the front and played a quickfire 60 in just 60 deliveries to lead India past 200 and set up the target of 239 against USA in the warm-up game. Tilak Varma’s promising comeback Tilak Varma returned to cricket after almost a month of sustaining a groin injury in the Vijay Hazare Trophy while playing for Hyderabad. He was set to participate in the remaining two of the five-match T20I series vs New Zealand. But he was rested for full recovery, and he took the field against the USA today. He scored 38 at a strike rate of 158, hitting three fours and two sixes during his knock. Overall, he scored 24 runs in boundaries during his 38-run assault. Team effort from USA falls short during 239-run chase While chasing the massive total, USA team showed a promising performance. Their highest run scorer was Andries Gous, who scored 44 runs in 31 deliveries. In the middle, Shubham Ranjane (28-off-17), Harmeet Singh (25-off-9), and Mohammad Mohsin (21-off-10) tried to accelerate the chase. However, they got out and only Sanjay Krishnamurthi stood out with his 41 off just 18 balls. Ravi Bishnoi was the leading wicket-taker for the Indian camp, scalping three wickets at an economy of 9.20. Meanwhile, Naman Dhir and Khaleel Ahmed grabbed two wickets each. With Ashok Sharma, Tilak Varma, and Ayush Badoni’s single-wicket strike, the USA got bundled out for 200 runs in 19.4 overs.