New Zealand A seized firm control of the first four-day unofficial Test against India A, ending the opening day with a crucial 22-run lead after a dominant display with both ball and bat in Lincoln.
After being asked to bowl first on a helpful surface, New Zealand A’s pace attack dismantled the touring Indian batting lineup for a meager 113 runs in just 39.3 overs. Simon Keene led the charge with a magnificent five-wicket haul, while Zak Gibson provided exceptional support by claiming three scalps. In response, New Zealand A’s opening pair of Rhys Mariu and Curtis Heaphy completely erased the deficit on their own, engineering a stellar 132-run partnership that surpassed India A’s entire first-innings total before the first wicket fell. By the time stumps were drawn on Day 1, New Zealand A had advanced to 135 for 3, holding a 22-run advantage with seven wickets intact.
The day began under overcast skies that offered immediate assistance to the seamers, and New Zealand A captain didn’t hesitate to exploit the conditions after winning the toss. For India A, the fixture carried immense significance, particularly for senior India batter KL Rahul. Preparing for the upcoming international white-ball series, Rahul was eager to spend valuable time in the middle to adapt to the challenging New Zealand conditions. However, his stay at the crease proved agonizingly brief. Lasting just eight balls, Rahul failed to get off the mark before pushing tentatively at a delivery from Fraser Sheat, offering a regulation edge behind the wicket to be dismissed for a duck.
Following Rahul’s early departure, India A experienced their most stable period of the innings. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Devdutt Padikkal knuckled down to negotiate the testing new-ball spell, adding 30 runs for the second wicket. The stand represented the second-highest partnership of the entire innings, providing brief optimism for the dressing room. Yet, the respite was short-lived. Gibson struck a crucial blow by removing Jaiswal for 17, triggering a devastating collapse that exposed the fragility of the middle order.
Keene then entered the attack with devastating effect, removing B Sai Sudharsan without scoring and trapping Dhruv Jurel for 1 in quick succession. Padikkal, who had batted with composure to reach 32, became Gibson’s second victim, while Washington Sundar followed shortly after. Within the blink of an eye, the visitors slumped to 58 for 6 in the 31st over, staring down the barrel of a deeply embarrassing total.
Yash Rathod walked to the crease at No. 6 under immense pressure and immediately sought to stabilize the innings. While Rathod looked remarkably comfortable against both pace and movement, the procession at the other end continued unabated. Keene and Gibson maintained relentless pressure, while Kristian Clarke chipped in by removing Anshul Kamboj to leave India tottering near the double-century mark—though the score suggested far worse.
When Rathod was joined by the last man, Mukesh Choudhary, the scoreboard read a precarious 81 for 9, with Rathod sitting on a patient 12 runs off 33 balls. Realizing that survival was no longer a viable strategy, Rathod opted for aggressive counter-attack. In a breathtaking display of lower-order hitting, Rathod plundered all 32 runs of the last-wicket partnership off a mere 16 deliveries. He finished unbeaten on 44 off 49 balls, peppered with three boundaries and three towering sixes. His spirited knock finally ended when Choudhary became the fifth batter of the innings to fall for a duck, handing Keene his fifth wicket of the innings and wrapping up India’s innings at 113. Keene finished with stellar figures of 5 for 24, while Gibson backed him up brilliantly with 3 for 29.
With a modest target of 114 to secure a first-innings lead, New Zealand A openers Rhys Mariu and Curtis Heaphy walked out with clear intent. Rather than playing cautiously, the pair played with remarkable fluency, putting the Indian bowling attack to the sword. Mariu proved to be the more enterprising and aggressive partner, constantly finding the boundary and keeping the scoreboard ticking at a healthy rate. Together, they eclipsed India A’s entire first-innings score before a breakthrough was finally achieved.
Mariu’s sparkling knock of 76 came off 137 deliveries and featured fluent strokeplay before he was trapped leg-before-wicket by Choudhary in the 39th over. In a striking statistical anomaly, Mariu’s individual score alone surpassed the entire 39.3 overs batted by the collective India A lineup.
Following Mariu’s dismissal, Auqib Nabi injected some life back into the Indian bowling attack by striking twice in two consecutive deliveries. Nabi first accounted for Jayden Lennox and then trapped Tim Robinson plumb in front, marking the seventh duck of the match across both innings. However, any hopes of a late batting collapse were swiftly extinguished as Heaphy, who played a patient and anchoring role, safely negotiated the remaining overs alongside Matthew Boyle.
At the close of play, Heaphy remained unbeaten on a gritty 37 off 108 balls, anchoring the innings as New Zealand A reached 135 for 3. With a lead of 22 runs and seven wickets still in hand, the home side holds all the momentum heading into the second morning. India A will desperately need an early burst of wickets with the second-day ball to drag themselves back into the contest, while New Zealand A will look to bat deep and bat their opponents completely out of the match.
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