Bad light and a gritty, unbeaten 90 from opener Curtis Heaphy frustrated India A in the dying stages of the first four-day unofficial Test in Lincoln, leaving the visitors just one wicket shy of a remarkable victory. Though forced to settle for a draw, India A will take immense heart from the character they showed to turn the match on its head after a disastrous opening day.
Dismissed for just 113 in their first innings and conceding a formidable 204-run lead, the visitors orchestrated a dramatic turnaround through immense batting resolve and a fiery bowling display on the final day. Auqib Nabi spearheaded the charge with three early breakthroughs, backed by unexpected contributions from part-time options, but New Zealand A managed to survive a tense finish as the umpires eventually called off play due to deteriorating visibility.
The encounter ended with New Zealand A at 187 for 9 in their second innings, having been set a challenging target of 313. The final session transformed into a nerve-wracking battle of attrition, where a single wicket stood between India A and a historic victory, only for the elements and a stubborn last-wicket partnership to intervene.
The tone for the final day’s drama was set early in the morning during the tail-end of India A’s monumental second-innings batting effort. Having resumed the final day on 488 for 8, all-rounder Washington Sundar added just a single run to his overnight score before departing for 52. Tailender Akash Deep then injected quick runs into the total with some lusty blows against both pace and spin, remaining unbeaten on 25 off just 17 balls. India A’s second innings finally concluded at a massive 516 runs, setting New Zealand A a target of 313 to win or safely navigate the remaining sessions to save the match.
Facing a tricky period before lunch, New Zealand A’s second innings immediately ran into a storm orchestrated by Nabi. The fast bowler delivered a sensational spell with the new ball, claiming three crucial top-order scalps in the space of just eight legal deliveries to reap the rewards of consistently targeting the stumps.
Nabi set the tone by swinging the ball in sharply from wide of the crease to breach Rhys Mariu’s defenses, sending his middle stump flying with the very first ball of his second over. Operating with lethal accuracy, Nabi struck again before the over concluded, trapping No. 3 batter Tim Robinson leg-before-wicket with a delivery that straightened after pitching in line. Continuing his onslaught in his next over, Nabi switched to around the wicket for left-hander Matthew Boyle, once again rattling the stumps by bringing the ball sharply back in.
With New Zealand A wobbling at 13 for 3, Dean Foxcroft arrived at the crease to join Heaphy, and the pair initiated a vital rebuilding phase. They combined for a resilient 78-run partnership that guided the hosts toward the 100-run mark, absorbing the pressure applied by the Indian bowling attack. However, the partnership was broken when Foxcroft mistimed a pull shot off Mukesh Choudhary, holing out for 42.
The dismissal triggered another slide for the hosts. Mitchell Hay was soon caught behind off the bowling of Anshul Kamboj, plunging New Zealand A deeper into trouble at 110 for 5. As wickets continued to tumble around him, Heaphy watched helplessly from the other end as the lower order failed to offer sustained resistance. Washington Sundar claimed his first wicket of the innings just before the tea break, removing a New Zealand A batter to leave the hosts reeling at six down and staring at defeat.
Following the tea interval, India A captain Dhruv Jurel explored various tactical avenues to break the stubborn resistance of the remaining batters. In a surprising move, Jurel handed the ball to Devdutt Padikkal, who was fresh off a magnificent 199 with the bat in the second innings. The part-time option delivered immediate results, picking up his maiden wickets in first-class cricket in quick succession.
Padikkal struck to remove Fraser Sheat and Zak Gibson, both of whom could only manage edges through to KL Rahul stationed safely at first slip. Heaphy, standing stranded at the non-striker’s end, was left shaking his head in disappointment as New Zealand A lost four wickets for the addition of just 39 runs, slipping to 170 for 9 and sitting firmly on the brink of defeat.
With only one wicket remaining and ample time left in the day, India A sensed an improbable victory. However, No. 11 batsman Jayden Lennox walked out to join Heaphy at the crease, and the pair produced an extraordinary defensive stand. Heaphy, anchoring the innings with immense patience and technical discipline, moved toward a well-deserved century while shielding his partner from the primary onslaught.
As the shadows lengthened over the Lincoln ground, India A exhausted their tactical options in pursuit of the final breakthrough. Captain Jurel even turned to left-arm fast bowler Mukesh Choudhary, who audaciously switched to bowling left-arm spin in the fading light. Despite these inventive attempts, the last wicket stubbornly refused to fall.
Heaphy and Lennox successfully played out nearly 10 overs under increasingly difficult batting conditions as natural light rapidly deteriorated. With roughly 17 overs still remaining in the day’s scheduled quota, the umpires ultimately intervened, calling the players off the field due to bad light to protect player safety.
The match was officially called a draw, leaving India A to rue the fading daylight that denied them a famous victory. Nevertheless, the visitors walked off the field knowing they had completely transformed the complexion of the fixture, bouncing back from an opening-day collapse to dominate large portions of the game through both gritty batting and incisive bowling.
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