Delray Rawlins claimed a wicket for England Under-19 before India declared on 431 for eight to give the visiting side a 70-run first-innings lead on day three of the first Youth Test at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur yesterday.

The slow left-arm bowler returned tidy figures of one for 48 off 14 overs, having made an eye-catching 70 not out in the England innings off 94 balls to continue his superb form with the bat.

Daryl Ferrario led India’s reply, scoring 117 from 173 balls, while early-order batsmen Abhishek Goswami and Saurabh Singh and No 9 Sijomon Joseph each chipped in with half-centuries before declaring at the end of the 122nd over.

Seam bowler Henry Brookes, slow left-arm bowler Liam Patterson-White and off spinner Euan Woods claimed two wickets each for England.

At stumps, England were 23 for one with a lead of 93 runs. Harry Brook is not out on 15 while nightwatchman Brookes is yet to score.

Left-arm seam bowler Kanishk Seth made an early breakthrough for India when he trapped Max Holden, the England captain, leg-before wicket for eight off the penultimate ball of the day’s play.

England piled up 501 for five declared in their first innings after electing to bat, with Holden and fellow early-order batsman George Bartlett notching big centuries and featuring in a record 378-run, second-wicket partnership.

Bermudian all-rounder Rawlins is next man to bat heading into today’s final day, with the game appearing to be heading for a draw.

The Sussex player was England’s best batsmen in the five-match Youth One-Day International series, which India won 3-1. Rawlins finished the series with 275 runs at an average of 68.75 with one century and a half-century. Rawlins also claimed eight wickets at an average of 29.87.

The St George’s Cup Match and Bailey’s Bay player made a dream start to his England career by stroking a match-winning 107 in the opening ODI and followed that superb innings up with knocks of 46, 96, 9 and 17 — the latter three innings after being promoted up the innings to No 4.