Delray Rawlins scored an unbeaten half-century on his Youth Test debut for England Under-19 against India at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur yesterday.

Rawlins, 19, scored an unbeaten 70 from 94 balls in 108 minutes batting at No 4 on the second day of the four-day match.

The Bermuda all-rounder struck five boundaries and four sixes, before England declared at 501 for five from 131.1 overs.

England’s innings was built on solid knocks from century-makers Max Holden and George Bartlett, who added another 124 runs to their team’s overnight score of 311 for one.

The 378-run second-wicket partnership was finally broken in the 103rd over when Bartlett was stumped for 179 off the bowling of Sijomon Joseph, the India off spinner. Bartlett hit 25 fours and three sixes.

Holden added another 40 runs with Rawlins before he was bowled by off spinner Daryl Ferrario for 170 from 355 balls, with 22 boundaries.

At stumps, India were 156 for two, 196 runs shy of the follow-on, with Saurabh Singh not out on 53 and Jonty Sidhu, the captain, on 23.

Opening bowler Aaron Beard and left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White have taken the only India wickets to fall with two days’ play.

Rawlins, who is expected to enjoy plenty of action as the pitch wears, has bowled four overs of left-arm spin for 14 runs.

The Sussex player was England’s best batsmen in the five-match Youth One-Day International series between the two countries. He 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.

He 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 to No 4.