England’s bowlers struggle in India

England’s back-up bowlers were made to sweat by Haryana’s unheralded batsmen on the second day of the four-day match in Ahmedabad on Friday. The tourists, who revelled on the slow pitch to pile up 521 in their first innings, also found wickets hard to come by as the state side cruised to 172-4 by stumps. Opener Rahul Dewan was unbeaten on 77 and Sunny Singh made 55, the pair making light of England’s attack with a 97-run partnership for the second wicket. Tim Bresnan claimed 2-47, but pacemen Stuart Meaker and Graham Onions went wicketless on a day when play was held up briefly as a monkey ran across the outfield. England were without four frontline bowlers, including the rested James Anderson, for the final warm-up game before the first Test that opens in the same city on November 15. Pace bowlers Stuart Broad and Steven Finn are recovering from injuries, while off-spinner Graeme Swann has flown home to attend to his sick daughter. The tourists added 113 in the morning session after resuming at 408-3, before they were all out at the stroke of lunch. All-rounder Samit Patel made 67, continuing his good form on the tour which had fetched him 104 and 60 in the previous two warm-up matches. Ian Bell scored 62 and Matt Prior smashed 41 off 36 balls before England lost their last five wickets for 14 runs while attempting to push on the scoring. Leg-spinner Amit Mishra, the lone international in Haryana’s team, and off-break bowler Jayant Yadav picked up four wickets each.