KL Rahul was dismissed for a duck after facing eight balls, edging Fraser Sheat behind the stumps. (Image credit: X)
On a grass-covered pitch offering assistance to the fast bowlers, the Dhruv Jurel-led side had no answers to New Zealand A’s disciplined attack. Five Indian batters failed to open their accounts, while the top order struggled to build partnerships.
Padikkal scored 32 off 77 balls but struggled to turn his start into a substantial innings. He scored the bulk of the runs in a last-wicket partnership with Mukesh Choudhary, helping India A cross the 100-run mark. India A’s total of 113 leaves their bowlers with a difficult task.
India A’s problems did not end with Rahul and Jaiswal’s dismissals. His slow knock did little to lift the scoring rate as wickets continued to fall at the other end. Captain and wicketkeeper Jurel managed just one run before falling to Simon Keene. As partners continued to depart, Rathod refused to let the innings fade away quietly. With the pitch continuing to offer assistance to the pacers, they will need early wickets to prevent New Zealand A from gaining a firm grip on the match.