WATCH: KS Bharat dedicates his hundred to Lord Ram in first unofficial Test against England Lions

The England Lions are presently on a tour to India, engaging in a series of three Test matches. Following a subpar batting performance in the initial innings of the unofficial Test, the Indian team made a strong comeback, ultimately concluding the Test match in a draw. The primary contributors to India's batting revival were Sai Sudharshan (97), who narrowly missed a well-deserved century, and wicketkeeper-batter KS Bharat, who compiled a splendid hundred.

KS Bharat's remarkable century enhances his chances of securing a place in the Indian playing XI for the upcoming first Test against England. This becomes crucial for India as they intend to relieve KL Rahul of wicketkeeping duties. This century is a positive development for head coach Rahul Dravid, who has been advocating for Bharat's inclusion in Test matches despite his previous batting challenges.

The star India wicketkeeper displayed a solid performance, exhibiting proficiency on both sides of the wicket. Nine out of his 15 boundaries were scored against spinners, mainly directed towards the on-side. However, what has also grabbed headlines is Bharat’s century celebration. Marking his 10th first-class century, Bharat dedicated this milestone to Lord Ram ahead of the Ayodhya Temple Pran Pratishtha ceremony scheduled for January 22.

Watch the video here;

KS Bharat dedicated his hundred against England Lions to "Lord Ram".

- Bharat did bow & arrow celebration...!!!!pic.twitter.com/B13stcQBu7

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 21, 2024

India and England will lock horns on January 25

India secured a 3-1 series win in the previous clash between the two teams in 2021, overcoming England's initial victory in the opening game. Under the leadership group of Stokes and McCullum, England remains undefeated in Test series and is eager to achieve another series win in India, aspiring for their first triumph since the impressive 2-1 victory in 2012.

The series is scheduled to take place in Hyderabad with both teams aligned to play the series opener for the first Test on January 25. In addition to it, the second Test match is scheduled to take place in Visakhapatnam on February 2 along with the third Test match to take place in Rajkot from February 15. The fourth and fifth Test matches are scheduled to be placed in Ranchi and Dharamshala respectively from February 23 and March 7 respectively.