A stubborn 10th-wicket partnership between Curtis Heaphy and Jayden Lennox denied India A a stunning turnaround victory on the final day of the first Unofficial Test in Lincoln on Tuesday (October 27). Skittled out for just 113 and having conceded a 204-run first innings lead, India A’s revival was built on Devdutt Padikkal’s magnificent 199 in the second innings. Additionally, fifties from Sai Sudharsan, Yash Rathod and Washington Sundar helped India A pile on 516 before a well-rounded bowling effort had the hosts on the ropes. However, New Zealand A’s resistance and fading light meant that India A had to settle for a draw.

India A resumed the fourth day on 488 for 8 and the highlight of the morning was Akash Deep smashing Zak Gibson for a hat-trick of sixes, on either side of which the visitors lost their two remaining wickets. After setting New Zealand A a 313-run target, India A didn’t have to wait long for breakthroughs with Auqib Nabi dismissing both Rhys Mariu and Tim Robinson with precise inswingers in the third over.

Nabi then returned to bowl Matthew Boyle an over later to leave New Zealand A reeling at 13 for 3. Curtis Heaphy and Dean Foxcroft rose to the occasion in times of crisis and put on a confident and positive 78-run stand. They took their team through to the second session, three deliveries into which there was a 45-minute rain delay.

It was Mukesh Choudhary who eventually broke the partnership with Foxcroft falling to India A’s short-ball ploy. Mitchell Hay began positively by striking Anshul Kamboj for two boundaries but fell to the same bowler a few overs later. Heaphy continued to bat with conviction at the other end and brought up his fifty shortly thereafter but he didn’t have consistent support from the other end.

New Zealand A had just four wickets remaining heading into the final session and India A found an unlikely wicket-taker in Padikkal who picked up his maiden first-class wicket by dismissing Fraser Sheat. Much to the delight of his teammates, Padikkal’s off-breaks found another wicket in Gibson a few overs later. Akash Deep then dismissed Simon Keene to put the visitors on the cusp of victory.

A defiant last-wicket stand between Heaphy and Lennox followed as New Zealand A clung on to flickering hope of eking out a draw. With the partnership surviving 57 deliveries, fading light came to the hosts’ aid as the umpires took the players off with 18 overs yet to be bowled in the day.

Brief Scores: India A 113 all-out (Yash Rathod 44*; Simon Keene 5-24, Zak Gibson 3-29) & 516 all-out (Devdutt Padikkal 199, Sai Sudharsan 91; Zak Gibson 3-80) drew with New Zealand A 317 (Rhys Mariu 76, Dean Foxcroft 51; Anshul Kamboj 3-52, Auqib Nabi 3-69) & 187/9 (Curtis Heaphy 90*; Auqib Nabi 3-28)