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Simon Keene's five for 24 skittles India A for 113 in Lincoln
KL Rahul fell for a duck and Dhruv Jurel's side were 58 for six on a green pitch at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval. Rhys Mariu then led New Zealand A's reply with an unbeaten fifty.
Key points
- India A were bowled out for 113 in 39.3 overs on the first day of the first unofficial Test.
- Seamer Simon Keene took five for 24, with Zak Gibson adding three for 29.
- No. 8 Yash Rathod top-scored with an unbeaten 44 off 49 balls.
India A’s first look at New Zealand conditions went badly wrong on Saturday. Put in on a green pitch at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln, Dhruv Jurel’s side were bowled out for 113 in 39.3 overs on the opening day of the first four-day unofficial Test, with seamer Simon Keene taking five for 24.
The collapse included most of the batters the selectors are watching ahead of the senior Test series. KL Rahul fell to Fraser Sheat for a duck in the third over, after eight balls. Yashasvi Jaiswal battled for 45 balls over 17 before Zak Gibson had him caught by Matthew Boyle. Sai Sudharsan lasted 13 balls without scoring before Keene bowled him, and Jurel made 1, caught by New Zealand A captain Rhys Mariu off the same bowler.
A late rescue
Devdutt Padikkal was the one top-order batter to stay for long, making 32 off 77 balls with five fours and adding 30 with Jaiswal for the second wicket. When Washington Sundar went for a duck, India A were 58 for six.
What respectability they reached came from No. 8 Yash Rathod. He struck three fours and three sixes in an unbeaten 44 off 49 balls, while Anshul Kamboj made 10 before falling to Kristian Clarke. Keene finished the innings, bowling Mukesh Choudhary for a duck, and Gibson ended with three for 29.
Mariu leads the reply
New Zealand A made a far better fist of the conditions. At last report Mariu was unbeaten on 76, with Curtis Heaphy on 34, and Auqib Nabi had gone wicketless for 30.
The match is the first of three unofficial Tests and the main red-ball rehearsal for several of India’s Test hopefuls before the senior side’s first Test in Wellington on 19 November. Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak had said before the game that “the match practice of the red ball is very important” for those heading into the Tests.
Rishabh Pant is missing the first two games with a side strain. The second unofficial Test is in Christchurch from 31 October, and the third returns to Lincoln from 7 November.