India A's batting lineup crumbled against New Zealand A on Saturday, October 24, managing only 113 runs in their opening innings of the first unofficial Test at Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln. The grass-covered pitch provided considerable assistance to the home side's fast bowlers, and the Dhruv Jurel-led visitors found themselves unable to counter the movement and pace generated by New Zealand A's disciplined attack. Five Indian batters failed to register a single run, while the top order proved unable to establish meaningful partnerships.
KL Rahul fell for a duck after playing eight balls, edging a delivery from Fraser Sheat to the wicketkeeper. Yashasvi Jaiswal contributed 17 runs off 45 balls before being caught by Matthew Boyle off Zak Gibson. These early losses set the tone for India A's troubled innings, with experienced players unable to provide the strong foundation expected from them.
Top order fails to rise to the challenge
Devdutt Padikkal scored 32 off 77 balls but could not convert his start into a substantial contribution. His cautious approach failed to accelerate the scoring as wickets fell regularly at the other end. Sai Sudharsan departed for a duck after facing 13 deliveries, dismissed by Simon Keene. Captain and wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel managed just one run before falling to Keene.
Washington Sundar failed to open his account, leaving India in a precarious position at 58 for 6. The visitors' inability to build partnerships and counter the movement generated by New Zealand A's pacers resulted in a deeply disappointing batting display.
Simon Keene was the standout bowler, finishing with five wickets for 24 runs in 11.3 overs. Zak Gibson claimed three wickets for 29 runs, while Fraser Sheat and Kristian Clarke picked up one wicket each. India A lost their last five wickets for just 55 runs, highlighting the collapse in the lower order.
Yash Rathod stands alone
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 his 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 cross the 100-run mark. Choudhary, however, contributed nothing with the bat, becoming Keene's fifth victim. Rathod's late counterattack could not hide the failures that had left India in such a precarious position.
India A's total of 113 left their bowlers with a difficult task ahead. With the pitch continuing to offer assistance to the pacers, they would need early wickets to prevent New Zealand A from gaining a firm grip on the match. The series consisted of three four-day unofficial Tests, with the second match scheduled at Hagley Oval from October 31 and the third at Lincoln starting November 7.
