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JAIPUR, India, Wednesday (AFP) - Somerset paceman Richard Johnson staked his Test claims on the Indian tour with a three-wicket burst on the opening day of a tour game here on Tuesday.

The uncapped 26-year-old, making his first appearance on the tour, struck thrice in his first two overs against India A to alert the selectors ahead of the first Test against India at Mohali from December 3.

Johnson's triple strike reduced the hosts to 8-4 before middle-order batsman Abhijit Kale rallied his team to 233-9 declared with an impressive 122 under pressure.

The tourists were 37 for no loss by stumps, with Mark Butcher on 32 and Marcus Trescothick on five.

Johnson, regarded as the third seamer in the touring party behind Matthew Hoggard and James Ormond, was a last-minute inclusion for the three-day match.

By the end of the day, he had forced the tour selectors to look at him seriously for the three back-to-back Tests.

Johnson had opener Vinayak Mane caught behind with the third ball of the day and then bowled Yere Goud with the fifth on a green top that offered bounce and movement to the pacemen.

In his next over, Johnson trapped Gautam Gambhir leg-before for five.

Johnson was well supported by Andrew Flintoff, who claimed 3-47 a few days after joining the tourists as a back-up for the injury-prone Craig White.

Spinners Richard Dawson and Ashley Giles shared three wickets as the tourists succeeded in solving their bowling problems before the first Test.

Kale and Test hopeful Gagan Khoda, however, steadied the innings with a 114-run stand for the fifth wicket to help the hosts cross the 200-mark against the tight English bowling.

Flintoff broke the stand when he bowled Khoda for 64 and then accounted for Reetinder Sodhi for two in his second spell.

Kale was the most impressive batsman of the day, smashing one six and 10 fours in his 220-ball knock before being caught by Mark Ramprakash at short-leg off Dawson.

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