India A came agonisingly close to victory but had to settle for a draw against New Zealand A in the first unofficial Test after bad light brought an end to play on Day 4 in Lincoln on Tuesday.New Zealand A were 187/9 in their second innings while chasing a target of 313 when the umpires stopped play due to poor light. India A needed just one more wicket to win, but the conditions did not improve and the match eventually ended in a draw.Curtis Heaphy stood firm for the hosts, remaining unbeaten on 90 off 187 balls, with Jayden Lennox on six. The pair frustrated the Indian bowlers during the final session, helping New Zealand A survive until the close.
India A fight back after first-innings collapse
India A had a difficult start to the match after being bowled out for just 113 in their first innings. Yash Rathod top-scored with an unbeaten 44, while Devdutt Padikkal made 32. Simon Keene led the New Zealand A attack with five wickets, while Zak Gibson picked up three.New Zealand A responded with 317, taking a first-innings lead of 204 runs. Captain Rhys Mariu scored 76, while Dean Foxcroft contributed 51. Kristian Clarke added 42, helping the hosts build a strong advantage.Auqib Nabi and Anshul Kamboj took three wickets each for India A, while Akash Deep claimed two.
Padikkal leads India’s fightback
India A produced a strong response in their second innings, scoring 516 to set New Zealand A a target of 313. Padikkal was the standout performer with the bat, scoring 199 off 248 balls, including 24 fours and three sixes. He shared a 215-run partnership with Sai Sudharsan, who scored 91, to put India A back in the contest. Yash Rathod also made an important contribution with 66, while Washington Sundar scored 52. Auqib Nabi chipped in with 38, and Akash Deep remained unbeaten on 25.Padikkal missed out on a double-century by just one run after being given out caught behind. His innings, however, helped India A turn the match around after their disappointing first-innings performance.
India A fall just short
Chasing 313 for victory, New Zealand A lost three early wickets, with Auqib Nabi striking twice in the opening overs before dismissing Matthew Boyle. The hosts were soon under pressure, but Foxcroft’s 42 offered some resistance.Mukesh Choudhary dismissed Foxcroft, while Anshul Kamboj removed wicketkeeper Mitchell Hay. Washington Sundar then sent back Kristian Clarke before Padikkal made an impact with the ball, taking his maiden first-class wicket by dismissing Fraser Sheat. He later removed Zak Gibson to leave New Zealand A at 160/8.Akash Deep bowled Simon Keene for five, leaving India A just one wicket away from victory.However, Heaphy and Lennox held on as bad light stopped play at 187/9 after 65 overs.Auqib Nabi finished with three wickets in the second innings, while Padikkal claimed two. Akash Deep, Mukesh Choudhary, Anshul Kamboj and Sundar took one wicket each.The two teams will now turn their attention to the second unofficial Test, scheduled to begin on Saturday.
