India A were bowled out for 113 in 39.3 overs on the opening day of their first unofficial Test against New Zealand A at Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln on October 24. After being asked to bat first on a green pitch, the visitors struggled against the seamers, with Simon Keene claiming five wickets.

The three four-day games give players a chance to adapt to New Zealand conditions ahead of the senior team’s two-match Test series. Meanwhile, the senior Indian team is currently facing the Black Caps in a T20I series. Shreyas Iyer's side took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series after chasing 225 runs.

India A Top Order Struggles Against New Ball

New Zealand A made the most of the conditions, with Fraser Sheat dismissing KL Rahul for a duck in the third over. Rahul faced eight deliveries before departing, while Yashasvi Jaiswal and Devdutt Padikkal added 30 runs for the second wicket.

Zak Gibson then had Jaiswal caught by Matthew Boyle for 17 off 45 balls. Padikkal offered some resistance, scoring 32 off 77 deliveries with five boundaries.

However, Gibson dismissed the left-hander as India A failed to build another substantial partnership. Sai Sudharsan fell for a 13-ball duck to Keene, while captain Dhruv Jurel managed just one run before Rhys Mariu caught him off the same bowler.

Washington Sundar also departed without scoring, leaving India A at 58/6. Five batters failed to open their accounts as New Zealand A’s four right-arm seamers exploited the movement on offer.

Simon Keene Claims Five-Wicket Haul

Simon Keene led New Zealand A’s attack with figures of 5/24 in 11.3 overs. He removed Sudharsan and Jurel before returning to dismiss Auqib Nabi, Akash Deep and Mukesh Choudhary to wrap up the innings in 39.3 overs.

Zak Gibson supported him with 3/29, while Sheat and Kristian Clarke claimed one wicket each. The four seamers shared all ten wickets, consistently troubling the Indian batters on the grass-covered surface.

The visiting team’s inability to handle the movement will concern the team management, although one innings on a bowler-friendly pitch does not necessarily reflect the team’s overall batting ability. The visitors will need to show greater patience and build longer partnerships in their next innings.

Yash Rathod Scores Unbeaten 44 to Lift Team Past 100

Yash Rathod provided the team’s main resistance, finishing unbeaten on 44 off 49 balls. He struck three fours and three sixes, attacking the bowlers as wickets fell at the other end and helping his side cross the 100-run mark.

Rathod briefly partnered with Anshul Kamboj, who scored 10 before Clarke ended their stand. The left-hander then continued to score with the tailenders and contributed most of the runs late in the innings. Choudhary failed to score before becoming Keene’s fifth victim.

Dhruv Jurel's side will look to recover from the poor start as the four-day series continues. The second unofficial Test is scheduled to begin at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on October 31, with the third and final match set to start in Lincoln on November 7.