New Delhi: and Sai Sudharsan led India A’s recovery on the second day of the against New Zealand A at Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln on Sunday, October 25. After the hosts took a 204-run first-innings lead, the Men in Blue lost both openers cheaply before Padikkal and Sudharsan forged an unbeaten 96-run partnership to help India reach 106/2 at stumps.
The visitors trailed by a huge margin at the start of their second innings. Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul fell cheaply inside the first 30 minutes. Simon Keene removed Jaiswal for 5 at the start of the fourth over, while Rahul was dismissed hit-wicket in the next.
Sudharsan and Padikkal, who are competing for the No. 3 place in the Indian team ahead of next month’s Test series, came together to bail the side out of early trouble and prevent another collapse. Padikkal made the most of an early reprieve to remain unbeaten on a half-century, adding 96 runs with Sudharsan, who was batting on an unbeaten 39. India A trail by 98 runs with eight wickets in hand.
New Zealand A – 317/10 in 1st innings
Earlier, New Zealand A resumed at 135/3 on Day 2 but lost overnight batters Curtis Heaphy (44) and Matthew Boyle (17) without significant contributions. However, the middle and lower order resisted to take the hosts past the 300-run mark.
Mitchell Hay and Dean Foxcroft stitched a 43-run partnership in just under 11 overs to take New Zealand A past 200. Foxcroft hit a brilliant half-century, forging another 33-run partnership with Kristian Clarke for the eighth wicket.
Clarke then stitched a 34-run partnership with Fraser Sheat for the ninth wicket and 32-run with Zak Gibson for the tenth. Clarke scored 42 runs off 67 balls with the help of three boundaries and two maximums. Their efforts helped the hosts take a 204-run lead that could well prove decisive. For the visitors, Auqib Nabi and Anshul Kamboj took three wickets each.