India A’s much-anticipated red-ball tour of New Zealand began in disastrous fashion at Lincoln on Saturday as the visitors suffered a dramatic batting collapse, getting bowled out for just 113 runs in less than 40 overs, with an alarming five batters failing to open their accounts.
Asked to bat first on a lively green-top wicket at Bert Sutcliffe Oval, India A were immediately put under pressure by New Zealand A’s seam attack. Opener KL Rahul departed for a duck in the third over, setting the tone for a miserable day with the bat.
While Yashasvi Jaiswal (17) and Devdutt Padikkal (32) briefly steadied the innings with a 30-run stand, the middle order offered little resistance. Sai Sudharsan, Washington Sundar, Auqib Nabi and Mukesh Choudhary joined Rahul in the duck club as wickets tumbled at regular intervals.
Amid the wreckage, Yash Rathod produced a gritty unbeaten 44, striking three fours and three sixes to drag India’s total beyond the 100-run mark. Captain Dhruv Jurel managed just one run on his first outing as India A skipper in New Zealand.
The chief architect of India’s collapse was seamer Simon Keene, who claimed a brilliant five-wicket haul, while Zak Gibson chipped in with three wickets. With two unofficial Tests still to come, India A will be desperate for a swift batting revival after a forgettable opening-day display.