India A captain Dhruv Jurel came close to scoring a century but finished the opening day of the second unofficial Test against New Zealand A unbeaten on 99 at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Saturday (October 31).
Jurel’s fighting knock helped India A recover from a middle-order collapse and reach 291/7 at stumps on Day 1. He faced 155 balls and was joined by Akash Deep (25 not out) at the crease. The pair added an unbeaten 69 runs for the eighth wicket to give the visitors some much-needed stability.
Earlier in the day, Devdutt Padikkal also made a valuable contribution with the bat, scoring 80 runs off 140 deliveries. The left-hander continued his impressive form after scoring 199 in the second innings of the first unofficial Test in Lincoln earlier this week.
Devdutt Padikkal continues impressive run
Padikkal walked out to bat at No. 3 and looked comfortable at the crease. He struck 12 boundaries and shared a 91-run partnership with B Sai Sudharsan, who scored 41 runs.
The left-hander took 101 balls to complete his half-century and looked set for another big score. However, his innings came to an end when an attempted cut against Fraser Sheat resulted in the ball hitting his stumps.
His dismissal triggered a collapse as India A lost three wickets for just seven runs.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Smaran Ravichandran dismissed for ducks
Yashasvi Jaiswal had another disappointing outing with the bat. The Mumbai batter was dismissed for a four-ball duck in the very first over after Fraser Sheat trapped him leg-before-wicket.
Jaiswal had also failed to make an impact in the first unofficial Test, scoring 17 and 5 in the two innings.
Karnataka batter Smaran Ravichandran also failed to open his account. He was trapped in front by Sheat on the very first ball he faced, registering a golden duck.
Between their dismissals, Yash Rathod also returned to the pavilion after scoring 13 runs off 22 deliveries. The Vidarbha batter had been among the leading run-scorers for India A in the series opener.
Dhruv Jurel, Manav Suthar steady India A innings
With India A losing wickets at regular intervals, Jurel took responsibility and held one end together.
He found support from Manav Suthar, who scored 22 runs. The pair added 62 runs for the seventh wicket and helped India A move past a difficult phase.
Suthar eventually fell during the final session, but Jurel continued to bat patiently. He brought up his half-century off 93 balls before taking on Jarrod McKay, hitting the pacer for two fours and a six in a single over.
Jurel then received valuable support from Akash Deep. The two batters ensured that India A did not lose another wicket before stumps, taking the team’s total to 291/7.
Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar return to India A XI
India A made three changes to their playing XI for the second unofficial Test. Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar and Manav Suthar were included in the team.
KL Rahul and Anshul Kamboj were unavailable for selection due to their involvement in India’s preparations for the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand.