Stumps New Zealand A 218 for 3 (Boyle 107*, Foxcroft 80*, Mukesh 2-44) trail India A 346 (Jurel 105, Padikkal 80, Akash Deep 68, Sheat 4-63) by 128 runs

Dhruv Jurel scored a century. Akash Deep brought up his highest first-class score. Mohammed Siraj and Mukesh Kumar had the new ball on a string, bowling four maiden overs on the trot and making short work of New Zealand A's top three. But the second day of the second four-day match belonged to Matthew Boyle and Dean Foxcroft, who made India A's bowlers toil through two wicketless sessions to put the home side in a strong position.

India A's bowling attack has the combined experience of 82 Tests, with 243 wickets. That's more games than the 71 first-class matches Foxcroft and Boyle have played between them. And yet, despite coming together with their team reeling at 13 for 3, they did not offer the bowlers as much as a peek as they put up an unbroken 205-run partnership, with Boyle's century the cherry on top.

The day's play gave the visitors a glimpse of what could be a major challenge when the Test series kicks off: how do you get wickets once the new ball is no longer that new?

Earlier, Jurel, who began the day on 99, drove the third ball of the day through cover to bring up his eighth first-class century.

Jurel and Akash Deep had to be watchful against New Zealand A's quicks, with Fraser Sheat getting the second new ball to seam away consistently and Brett Randell getting it to swing in.

Randell's second over produced a lbw appeal and an edge by Jurel, which didn't carry. In his next, he had Jurel nicking behind with an inswinger and Rhys Mariu took a good diving catch to his right at second slip.

With Jurel gone, Akash Deep started looking to go on the offensive. He missed a pull off a Sheat bouncer, but when Sheat went fuller, he swung him over long-on for six to take India past 300.

Siraj had a tough start to his innings, as he was struck on the box first ball by Randell.

Akash Deep showed good awareness to mostly farm the strike, while also taking on the bowlers. He hit four fours in a row off Randell - a heave over midwicket, a hook over fine leg, a dab between third slip and gully, and a flick through midwicket - to bring up his second first-class fifty.

When Kristian Clarke came into the attack, Akash Deep cut him behind point for another boundary, but the other bowling change brought about the breakthrough. Siraj had been circumspect until then, but on the last ball of Jarrod McKay's first over in the day, he tried to back away and swing at a full ball and lost his off stump.

Akash Deep hung around for a while longer, picking up another boundary when he tonked McKay back over his head, but miscued a catch to deep cover off Clarke as he tried to swing another one away, falling for 68, as India posted 346.

If Siraj was still feeling any effects of the blow, he didn't show it when he opened the bowling as he and Mukesh kept the New Zealand openers pinned down with the new ball.

Mariu finally got New Zealand A off the mark with a back-foot punch through the covers off the second delivery of Siraj's third over, but two balls later, Siraj pitched up an outswinger and had him nicking behind.

It didn't take long for Mukesh to get on the board as well as he tempted Curtis Heaphy into a drive, only to edge it to gully. One ball later, Mukesh got one to nip back into Tim Robinson - who he had consistently tested with a series of outswingers - to trap him in front, leaving New Zealand A struggling at lunch.

However, things turned around after the break. Siraj and Mukesh were a bit off-radar after lunch, and Foxcroft and Boyle got 37 runs off the first six overs after the break to bring up the team fifty. The few short balls, and anything pitched too full, were put away for boundaries, with the left-right combo seemingly throwing the Indian bowlers off their rhythm.

The only real chance of the session came off Washington Sundar, who beat an advancing Foxcroft down the leg side, but Jurel missed the stumping chance, conceding four byes instead.

The scoring slowed down with Washington and Akash Deep bowling in tandem, but Foxcroft and Boyle held steady and kept picking off the occasional boundary.

The duo ensured a wicketless middle session - which saw New Zealand A add 92 runs.

The century stand came up soon after the tea break, which Boyle celebrated by swinging Siraj over midwicket for the first six of the innings. When Siraj switched angles to go over the wicket, Boyle drove him down the ground for four more.

With Jurel standing up to the stumps for Mukesh with Foxcroft on strike, the onus fell on Boyle to keep the runs coming.

When Manav Suthar was finally introduced in the 40th over, Boyle welcomed him with back-to-back boundaries to bring up his 11th first-class fifty, before playing a classy straight drive off Mukesh.

Boyle started Akash Deep's second spell with a flick through midwicket before driving him down the ground as well.

Foxcroft lofted Suthar down the ground to bring up his fifty with a four, adding to scores of 51 and 42 in the first unofficial Test.

The two continued to frustrate India A through the extended third session, with the bowlers enjoying nothing more than a few enthusiastic, but unsuccessful, appeals.

Boyle brought up his century in the 53rd over as he pulled Siraj for four, with the partnership reaching 200 soon after. Boyle was unbeaten on 107 when play was called off five minutes early owing to bad light, while Foxcroft will come out to bat on the third day 20 runs short of his century as India A search for ways to break this partnership.