Yashasvi Jaiswal returned to form in style, smashing an unbeaten century to help India A draw the second unofficial Test against New Zealand A at Hagley Oval on Tuesday.
The left-handed opener scored an unbeaten 155 off just 162 balls, hitting 15 fours and five sixes on the final day. His knock came at an important time, with Jaiswal struggling for runs ahead of India’s upcoming two-Test series against New Zealand.
Yash Rathod also made the most of the batting-friendly conditions, scoring an unbeaten 100 off 122 deliveries. The two left-handers shared an unbeaten 247-run partnership for the third wicket as India A reached 282/2 before both teams agreed to end the match in a draw.
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New Zealand A had earlier scored 424 in response to India’s first-innings total of 346.
Jaiswal Bounces Back After Poor Run Of Scores
Jaiswal’s century was particularly important given his recent struggles with the bat. Before this innings, he had managed scores of 17, 5 and 0 in his previous outings on the tour.
He also failed to score in his only Ranji Trophy appearance against Chandigarh before joining the India A squad in New Zealand.
His lack of runs would have been a concern for the Indian team management, especially with the two-Test series against New Zealand scheduled to begin on November 19.
Starting the final day at 32 without loss, India A lost Sai Sudharsan (11) early, while Devdutt Padikkal was dismissed for a duck after being bowled by Brett Randell.
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However, Jaiswal continued to play his natural attacking game and found an ideal partner in Rathod.
Jaiswal Takes New Zealand A Bowlers To The Cleaners
Jaiswal made his intentions clear by pulling Randell for a six over deep mid-wicket. He followed it up with some excellent drives against Kristian Clarke and Jarrod McKay.
The opener mixed his attacking shots with well-timed cover drives, cuts and placements behind the square. However, Dean Foxcroft’s off-spin proved particularly expensive, with four of Jaiswal’s five sixes coming against him.
As the ball got older, batting became even easier on a pitch that offered very little assistance to the bowlers. India A scored at an impressive run rate of 5.35 in their second innings.
Jaiswal brought up his 17th first-class century with a slog sweep before dancing down the track to hit another boundary. He continued to attack until the teams decided to call off the match.
Yash Rathod Completes Century On Foreign Soil
While Jaiswal grabbed most of the attention, Yash Rathod also produced an impressive performance with the bat.
The Vidarbha batter had already scored 44 and 66 in the opening unofficial Test and continued his good run in the second match.
Rathod played a confident innings, scoring an unbeaten 100 off 122 balls with the help of nine boundaries. He reached his century shortly after the restart, having gone into the break on 88 not out.
It was his first first-class century on foreign soil and another strong performance from a batter who has been making a name for himself in domestic cricket.
The match ended soon after Rathod reached the three-figure mark, with India A finishing at 282/2 in their second innings.
Brief Scores:
India A 346 and 282/2 in 52.4 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 155 not out, Yash Rathod 100 not out).
New Zealand A: 424.