Devdutt Padikkal and B Sai Sudharsan engineered a resolute fightback for India A on the second day of the first unofficial four-day Test against New Zealand A in Lincoln, though the hosts maintained a firm grip on the match. At the close of play, India A had reached 106 for 2 in their second innings, still trailing by 98 runs after New Zealand A posted a formidable first-innings total of 317. Padikkal was unbeaten on 56, while Sai Sudharsan accompanied him at the crease on 39, their unbroken third-wicket partnership having already yielded 96 runs from 188 deliveries.
The resilient stand provided much-needed stability for the touring side after New Zealand A’s bowlers had reduced them to a precarious 10 for 2 inside the fifth over. However, the early dismissal of established openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal continued a worrying trend for the pair, who are widely expected to open the batting for the senior Indian team in the upcoming Test series slated to begin in the third week of November. Both batters once again failed to spend meaningful time in the middle, compounding their struggles from the first innings where India A were bundled out for a paltry 113.
Jaiswal, who managed scores of 17 and 5 across the two innings in this fixture, and Rahul, who recorded figures of 0 and 4, have found themselves severely limited in match practice. Throughout the match in Lincoln, the pair faced a combined total of just 77 balls, with Jaiswal consuming 45 of those deliveries during his stay in the first innings. Their dismissals in the second innings left India A in deep trouble. Rahul fell in bizarre and frustrating fashion, dismissed hit-wicket as he attempted to fend off a delivery that was agonizingly trickling back toward the stumps off the inside edge of his bat.
With the senior openers back in the pavilion early, Padikkal and Sai Sudharsan stepped up to launch a calculated recovery. The left-handed duo, who are effectively competing for a coveted spot at number three in the Test batting order, delivered a masterclass in application and defensive discipline. They negotiated the moving ball and a probing New Zealand A bowling attack with considerable care, steering India A safely through the remainder of the afternoon and evening sessions without further damage.
Padikkal did enjoy a stroke of fortune during his innings. Early in his 89-ball stay at the crease, he managed to edge a delivery from Kristian Clarke, but the chance was put down by Rhys Mariu stationed at second slip. Capitalizing on the reprieve, Padikkal knuckled down to bring up an encouraging half-century. Sai Sudharsan, meanwhile, played with supreme confidence and concentration, compiling an entirely chanceless 104-ball knock that kept the scoreboard ticking while frustrating the fielding side. At stumps, India A’s run rate sat at 2.94, with the batters adding 25 runs in the final ten overs of the day without taking undue risks.
Earlier in the day, New Zealand A had successfully capitalized on their overnight position to stretch their first-innings advantage. Resuming their innings at 135 for 3—already holding a slender lead of 22 runs—the hosts looked to build a substantial total. Dean Foxcroft found reliable support from the lower-order batters, effectively frustrating the India A bowling attack through the morning and afternoon sessions.
Anshul Kamboj provided the initial breakthroughs for the visitors, striking three times in quick succession to peg New Zealand A back to 218 for 7. Kamboj accounted for Curtis Heaphy, who played a gritty knock of 44, alongside Matthew Boyce, who contributed 17, and Simon Keene, who managed just 4 runs. Despite these regular strikes, Foxcroft anchored the innings with immense composure. The middle-order batter, whose sole Test appearance for New Zealand came back in 2023, reached the 17th first-class half-century of his career, anchoring an important 33-run partnership for the eighth wicket alongside Kristian Clarke.
India A finally broke through that stubborn partnership when all-rounder Washington Sundar trapped Foxcroft leg-before-wicket for 51 in the 77th over of the innings. Three overs later, as the players broke for the drinks interval, New Zealand A had slipped to eight wickets down, though their lead had already swollen to a commanding 149 runs.
Whatever hopes India A had of wrapping up the tail quickly after the break were systematically dashed by Kristian Clarke. The lower-order batsman shifted gears dramatically, adopting a highly aggressive approach that put the bowling side on the defensive. After laboring to score just nine runs from his first 33 deliveries, Clarke exploded into action, hammering 33 runs from the next 34 balls he faced. He targeted the fast bowlers with a series of clean boundaries, steadily driving New Zealand A’s total higher.
During this phase, Auqib Nabi did manage to strike for India A, dismissing Fraser Sheat for 7 to claim his third wicket of the innings. However, Clarke continued to dictate terms, dominating a breezy last-wicket partnership with Zak Gibson. The tail-enders rubbed salt into India A’s wounds by launching a massive six each off the bowling of Akash Deep and Anshul Kamboj, stretching the hosts’ total past the 300-run mark.
Akash Deep finally brought an end to India A’s prolonged frustration by bowling Clarke for a fluent 42. By the time the innings was wrapped up at 317, New Zealand A had secured a formidable 204-run lead, heavily aided by the 46 extras conceded by the undisciplined India A bowling attack across 89.3 overs. Akash Deep finished with figures of 2 for 57, while Kamboj and Nabi claimed three wickets apiece.
With a deficit of 98 runs still to wipe out and eight wickets remaining in their second innings, India A will enter the third day facing an uphill battle. While Padikkal and Sai Sudharsan have laid a strong foundation, New Zealand A remain firmly in the driver’s seat, holding all the momentum and hoping for an early burst of wickets when play resumes in Lincoln.
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