India A were bowled out for 113 in 39.3 overs on the opening day of the first unofficial Test against New Zealand A at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln on Saturday. The India A collapse began in the third over and never eased, as five batters failed to open their account and the innings folded in barely half a day. For a side packed with Test hopefuls, it was a chastening start to the tour.
KL Rahul, India’s Test vice-captain, lasted eight balls before edging Fraser Sheat to wicketkeeper Mitchell Hay for a duck. Sai Sudharsan was bowled by Simon Keene for a 13-ball duck, and Yashasvi Jaiswal made 17 off 45 balls before Zak Gibson removed him. Captain Dhruv Jurel managed just one, while Washington Sundar fell for a six-ball duck.
The wickets that drove the India A collapse
Sheat struck with the new ball, finding Rahul’s outside edge in the third over to give the hosts the start they wanted. Sudharsan tried to settle but never looked comfortable against Keene, who beat his defence and sent the stumps flying. Jaiswal dug in for 45 balls but could only manage 17 before Gibson had him caught, and the top order was back in the pavilion with little on the board. Each dismissal fed the India A collapse a little further.
The middle order offered no recovery. Jurel, leading the side, scored a single before departing, and Washington Sundar’s six-ball duck deepened the damage. By the time the tail was exposed, five India A batters had failed to score, and the shape of the day was set. The scoreboard pressure told on every new batter who walked out.
Keene leads the way with five wickets
Simon Keene was the standout bowler, finishing with 5 for 24 in 11.3 overs. He was well supported by Zak Gibson, whose 3 for 29 broke the back of the top order. The pair kept the scoring rate down and attacked the stumps, and their discipline sat at the heart of the India A collapse. The visitors found no easy runs and few answers against the new-ball pair.
New Zealand A’s fielding matched the bowling. Rahul’s edge carried comfortably to Hay, and the catching behind the wicket was sharp all morning. With the seamers holding their lengths, India A’s batters were forced to play at balls they would rather have left alone.
Rathod’s lone resistance
Yash Rathod was the one bright spot for the visitors, finishing unbeaten on 44 off 49 balls with three fours and three sixes. His innings had intent from the start, and he found support in a final-wicket stand with Mukesh Choudhary that carried the total past 100. Without Rathod, the total would have been far worse.
Rathod’s contribution stood out on a card full of failures. Apart from his 44 not out, no other batter passed 17, and the five ducks tell their own story about the scale of the India A collapse. The tail at least gave the bowlers something to defend, but 113 was well short of what the tourists had planned for in Lincoln.
What the India A collapse means for the tour
The damage was done almost entirely by the new-ball pair. Sheat’s early strike removed Rahul in the third over, Keene’s five-wicket haul accounted for the middle order, and Gibson finished with three wickets. India A’s batters never found a way to rebuild after the early blows, and the innings ended in 39.3 overs, sealing the India A collapse.
The match is the first of three four-day unofficial Tests, arranged as preparation for India’s Test series in New Zealand. The team management had hoped the senior players in the squad, Rahul included, would use the fixture to find rhythm ahead of the main series. Instead, the India A collapse has put the spotlight firmly on the batting, and the selectors will want a response in the second innings.
New Zealand A ended the day firmly on top after the India A collapse. With three days remaining at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval, India A’s bowlers must now hit back hard if the visitors are to fight their way back into the match.