England make steady start against India A

After sending back the last home team wicket in only one ball, when James Anderson trapped Vinay Kumar (25) leg before wicket at his and the team's overnight total, England began their reply in a sedate manner and also lost uncapped opener Nick Compton cheaply.

Compton was caught behind off Ashok Dinda, who got the batsman to lunge forward and edge one to Wriddhiman Saha behind the wicket in the second over of the England first innings.

Skipper Alastair Cook and one-drop Jonathan Trott played cautiously as the visitors advanced to 79 for 1 wicket at lunch with the visiting team captain on 30 and his partner on 48.

The tourists were 290 runs behind the home team's score.

Cook had struck five fours in his 110-minute stay off 70 balls while the right-handed Trott had eight hits to the fence in his 103-minute innings after having faced 78 balls.

Both Cook and Trott were very circumspect and played each ball on merit and the score also moved at a snail's pace.

Trott was once surprised by a Dinda bouncer that he fended. The ball landed behind the 'keeper and went for four.

Later he played a firm push off the Bengal pacer for a four to mid off and then square cut left arm Irfan Pathan for another handsome boundary. He also straight-drove Yuvraj fluently to the fence. MORE