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INDA vs NZA: Jurel’s 99* leads India A’s fightback after Padikkal’s 80 in 2nd unofficial Test

hellohimachalse@gmail.com 31 Oct 2026 1 hour ago

New Delhi: India A recovered from early blows through significant contributions from and Dhruv Jurel to reach 291/7 at stumps on Day 1 of the second unofficial Test against at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. After opting to bowl first, the hosts got off to a great start as Fraser Sheat dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal for a duck in the first over.

Padikkal then joined Sai Sudharsan to lead the recovery, stitching a 91-run partnership for the second wicket. The duo took the visitors safely to lunch at 87/1. Sai Sudharsan looked good and scored 41 off 63 balls before being removed by Jarrod McKay in the second over after the break.

Brett Randell then dismissed Yash Rathod for 13, leaving India A reeling at 131/3. Padikkal continued his sensational form on the tour, completing another brilliant fifty and anchoring the top order with 12 boundaries.

He was removed by Sheat for 80 runs, putting India in a difficult spot at 137/4. Sheat struck again, dismissing Smaran Ravichandran for a duck and Washington Sundar for just eight to deepen India’s troubles.

Dhruv Jurel rescues India A

Jurel stitched valuable partnerships with Manav Suthar and Akash Deep in the middle and lower order. The wicketkeeper-batter hit a brilliant half-century before edging closer to a well-deserved century by the end of the day’s play.

During his unbeaten 99, the India A captain forged a 62-run partnership with Suthar, who scored 22, before joining forces with Akash to guide his side to a strong finish on the day. Akash batted well, helping India A recover from a middle-order collapse and cross the 250-run mark before stumps.

Their unbeaten 69-run stand lifted the team to 291/7 at the close of play. For New Zealand A, Sheat picked up 4 wickets, while Randell, McKay and Jayden Lennox picked up one wicket each. The first unofficial Test ended in a draw, with India A narrowly missing out on victory after falling just one wicket short of sealing the win.

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