India A’s star-studded batting line-up suffered a stunning collapse against New Zealand A, managing just 113 runs in the first innings of the opening unofficial Test at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln on Saturday.On a grass-covered pitch offering assistance to the fast bowlers, the Dhruv Jurel-led side had no answers to New Zealand A’s disciplined attack. Five Indian batters failed to open their accounts, while the top order struggled to build partnerships.KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, Sai Sudharsan and Dhruv Jurel were expected to provide a strong start, but the experienced group failed to deliver. Rahul was dismissed for a duck after facing eight balls, edging Fraser Sheat behind the stumps. Jaiswal managed only 17 off 45 balls before Zak Gibson ended his stay.
Top order fails to rise to the challenge
India A’s problems did not end with Rahul and Jaiswal’s dismissals. Padikkal scored 32 off 77 balls but struggled to turn his start into a substantial innings. His slow knock did little to lift the scoring rate as wickets continued to fall at the other end.Sudharsan, another batter expected to make an impact, departed for a duck after facing 13 deliveries. Captain and wicketkeeper Jurel managed just one run before falling to Simon Keene.Washington Sundar also failed to open his account, leaving India A reeling at 58/6. The visitors’ inability to build partnerships or counter the movement generated by the New Zealand A pacers made for a deeply disappointing batting display.
Simon Keene tears through India A
Keene was the standout bowler, finishing with five wickets for 24 runs in 11.3 overs. Gibson claimed three wickets for 29 runs, while Sheat and Kristian Clarke picked up one wicket each.India A lost their last five wickets for just 55 runs.
Yash Rathod lone warrior
Amid the collapse, Yash Rathod was the only batter who looked comfortable taking the attack to the opposition. He remained unbeaten on 44 off 49 balls, striking three fours and three sixes.As partners continued to depart, Rathod refused to let the innings fade away quietly. He scored the bulk of the runs in a last-wicket partnership with Mukesh Choudhary, helping India A cross the 100-run mark.Choudhary, however, contributed nothing with the bat before becoming Keene’s fifth victim. Rathod’s late counterattack could not hide the failures that had left India A in such a precarious position.India A’s total of 113 leaves their bowlers with a difficult task. With the pitch continuing to offer assistance to the pacers, they will need early wickets to prevent New Zealand A from gaining a firm grip on the match.
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