India A Bowled Out for 113 in First Unofficial Test Against New Zealand A

India A experienced a significant batting failure, getting dismissed for just 113 runs on the opening day of the first unofficial Test against New Zealand A. The match took place at Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln, where India A’s innings ended in just 39.3 overs.

Five players from India A returned to the pavilion with a score of zero, contributing to what has been described as a horror show for the visiting side. Yash Rathod provided some resistance, scoring a counter-attacking 44 not out off 49 balls, featuring three sixes and three fours. Devdutt Padikkal managed to score 32 runs, while Anshul Kamboj was the only other player to reach double figures with a score of 10.

The day began poorly for India A as senior player K L Rahul was dismissed for a duck in the third over after edging a delivery from Fraser Sheat. Following him, Yashasvi Jaiswal added a cautious 17 runs before he was caught in the slips off Zak Boyle’s bowling. Sai Sudharsan was bowled for a duck by Simon Keene, who later also dismissed the captain Dhruv Jurel for just one run, caught at second slip by Rhys Mariu.

As the game progressed, Padikkal's innings ended when he played a loose shot, leading to his dismissal by Zak Gibson, and at that point, India A found themselves struggling at 56 for five wickets. Washington Sundar also fell for a duck, caught at second slip to another exceptional delivery from Gibson.

Rathod's effort briefly lifted the team as he struck back-to-back sixes off Fraser Sheat, helping India A surpass the 100-run mark towards the end of their innings. However, Keene put an end to their struggle by taking the last three wickets, which included dismissing Auqib Nabi for five runs and both Akash Deep and Mukesh Choudhary for ducks.

On the bowling side, Simon Keene was outstanding for New Zealand A, recording impressive figures of five wickets for 24 runs in 11.3 overs, while Zak Gibson also contributed significantly with three wickets for 29 runs. New Zealand A's openers established a steady start, surpassing the 50-run mark within 16 overs, thus consolidating on their bowlers' excellent performance. Rhys Mariu was unbeaten on 24, with four boundaries, and Curtis Heaphy added 15 runs, setting the stage for a solid response to India A’s low total.