Devdutta Padikkala’s 199 in vain as bad light forces pull India A v New Zealand First Unofficial Test

India A came agonizingly close to victory but had to settle for a draw against New Zealand A in the first unofficial Test after bad light ended Day 4 play in Lincoln on Tuesday.New Zealand A were 187/9 in their second innings while chasing a target of 313 when the umpires stopped play due to poor lighting. India A needed just one more wicket to win, but the conditions did not improve and the match eventually ended in a draw.Curtis Heaphy stood firm for the hosts, remaining unbeaten on 90 off 187 balls, Jayden Lennox on six. The pair frustrated the Indian bowlers during the final over and helped New Zealand A survive till the end.

India Resistance after first innings collapse

India A had a tough start to the match after being bowled out for just 113 in their first innings. Yash Rathod top-scored with an unbeaten 44 while Devdutt Padikkal made 32. Simon Keene led the New Zealand A attack with five wickets while Zak Gibson picked up three.New Zealand A replied with 317 to take a first innings lead of 204 runs. Captain Rhys Mariu scored 76 while Dean Foxcroft contributed 51. Kristian Clarke added 42 to help the hosts build a strong lead.Auqib Nabi and Anshul Kamboj took three wickets each for India A while Akash Deep took two.

Padikkal leads India’s fight

India A mounted a strong response in their second innings, scoring 516 to set New Zealand A a target of 313. Padikkal was an outstanding performer with the bat, scoring 199 off 248 balls, including 24 fours and three sixes. He shared a 215-run partnership with Sai Sudharsan, who scored 91 to bring India A back into the contest. Yash Rathod also contributed significantly with 66 while Washington Sundar scored 52. Auqib Nabi chipped in with 38 and Akash Deep remained unbeaten on 25.Padikkal missed out on a double century by just one run after being caught behind. However, his innings helped India A turn the game around after their disappointing first innings performance.

India Short fall

Chasing 313 for victory, New Zealand A lost three early wickets, with Auqib Nabi striking twice in the opening overs before dismissing Matthew Boyle. The home side were under pressure early on but Foxcroft’s 42 put up some resistance.Mukesh Choudhary dismissed Foxcroft while Anshul Kamboj removed goalkeeper Mitchell Haye. Washington Sundar then sent back Kristian Clarke before Padikkal struck with the ball to claim his first first-class wicket by dismissing Fraser Sheat. He later removed Zak Gibson to leave New Zealand A at 160/8.Akash Deep bowled Simon Keene for five, leaving India A just one wicket away from victory.However, Heaphy and Lennox held on as bad light halted play at 187/9 after 65 overs.Auqib Nabi finished with three wickets in the second innings while Padikkal claimed two. Akash Deep, Mukesh Choudhary, Anshul Kamboj and Sundar took one wicket each.Both teams will now turn their attention to the second unofficial test, which is scheduled to begin on Saturday.