The highly anticipated intra-squad four-day practice match between India and India A commenced on Friday, being the team’s sole match-simulation opportunity ahead of the five-Test series against England. The match, which is being conducted behind closed doors, reminds one of India’s approach during the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy tour of Australia, where practice sessions were also kept private.

As the only preparatory fixture before the opening Test at Leeds on June 20, this match offers players a vital chance to fine-tune their skills under match-like conditions. Notably, this game does not carry first-class status and is not open to spectators or broadcasters, allowing the team management to experiment freely with line-ups and strategies.

A unique feature of this fixture is the inclusion of eight players from the India A squad, who previously played against the England Lions, within the main Test squad. Among them is the experienced KL Rahul, who impressed with a century in that encounter. Others include returning internationals Karun Nair and Shardul Thakur, as well as promising talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Dhruv Jurel, Abhimanyu Easwaran, and Akash Deep.