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Like Father Like Son! Rocky Flintoff Leads England U19's Resistance vs India With Fighting 93

Jatin

Rocky Flintoff was dismissed for 93 [Source: @codecricketau/x.com]Rocky Flintoff was dismissed for 93 [Source: @codecricketau/x.com]

England might be staring at a mountain-sized deficit at Beckenham on Day 3 but Rocky Flintoff made sure the hosts didn’t roll over without a fight. The 17-year-old prodigy, son of the legendary Andrew Flintoff, dug deep and delivered a solid 93 on Day 2 of the ongoing first Youth Test against India U19.

Rocky Flintoff Plays A Gem But Falls Short Of Century Against India U19

With wickets falling around him and scoreboard pressure piling up, Rocky Flintoff held his nerve like a seasoned pro. And though he missed out on a well-deserved ton, his knock was the lone bright spot in an otherwise forgettable English innings.

Walking in with England U19 wobbling at 37/2, Flintoff showed maturity beyond his years. He stitched a crucial 154-run stand with skipper Hamza Shaikh, who himself made a gritty 84. The pair brought some calm to the English innings but once Shaikh fell, it all started to fall apart again.

Flintoff kept going though, playing with patience, picking gaps and punishing anything loose. His 93 came off 152 balls, laced with 14 boundaries and a six and more importantly gave England some breathing space.

India U19 Firmly In The Driver’s Seat

Even with Rocky’s heroics, England U19 finished Day 2 on 230/5, still trailing by 310 runs after India posted a mammoth 540 in their first innings. India’s bowlers were relentless with Henil Patel picking up two wickets and Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Deepesh Devendran and Vihaan Malhotra chipping in with one apiece.

Flintoff was the last major roadblock. Once he fell lbw to Devendran just seven runs short of a hundred, India tightened the screws again. They will aim to continue the same way and pick the remaining English wickets early on Day 3.

Meanwhile, Flintoff didn’t get to raise the bat for three figures but make no mistake, this knock was pure character. Against a well-oiled Indian bowling attack with pressure mounting, Rocky showed heart, hunger and heaps of promise. He is still a teenager but the way he shouldered the responsibility and stood tall, you can see the Flintoff fire running deep in his veins.

England still have a long way to go in this Test and India U19 are firmly ahead. But Rocky Flintoff gave fans something to cheer. He might not have a hundred next to his name today, but if this innings is any clue, there are plenty of those to come.