Yashasvi Jaiswal crisis deepens as lazy India-A drops wickets in second unofficial Test

Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal’s batting crisis has deepened ahead of India’s two-match Test series against New Zealand. Jaiswal, India’s first-choice Test opener alongside KL Rahul, failed in his third consecutive innings on the ongoing tour of New Zealand, with another disappointment on the first day of the second unofficial Test against New Zealand-A on Saturday 31 October.

India-A are playing a three-match red-ball series against New Zealand-A as part of their preparations for the upcoming Test assignment. Jaiswal, who struggled in both innings of the first unofficial Test, failed to turn things around in the second match at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

The left-hander’s latest setback adds to India’s fears ahead of the Test series as the opener struggles to find runs despite having had the opportunity to spend time in the middle during the tournaments.

Jaiswal endured a difficult first unofficial Test, managing only 22 runs in two innings. He was dismissed for 17 in the first innings and fell for 5 in the second when Zak Gibson’s bouncer edged him with a delivery that brushed his glove before being caught at slip.

His struggles continued in the second match, giving him another chance to find his form ahead of the Test series.

Jaiswal already has weaknesses in his batting technique which needed attention Instead of working on those weaknesses they started teaching him wicket techniques Hats off to those giving Jaiswal advice Another Tide Bhai (@Public_Voice0) 31 October 2026

THE BEST ORDER IS ROUGH AGAIN

India-A’s problems were not limited to Jaiswal as the New Zealand-A bowlers took full advantage of the Christchurch conditions to put the visitors under pressure on the opening morning.

The home side struck four times in the opening hour, with Fraser Sheat leading the attack and taking advantage of the movement available off the surface. India-A’s batsmen also contributed to their own downfall, with poor shot selection at the expense of several dismissals.

Jaiswal was the first to fall as he was pinned in front of the stumps against Fraser Sheat in the very first over of the match. Devdutt Padikkal and Sai Sudharsan formed a strong partnership for the first wicket, but Sudharsan’s innings was broken by Jarrod McKay after the left-hander played a free stroke outside the off-stump. Sudharsan went for a delivery he could have left alone and was caught behind, giving New Zealand-A the much-needed breakthrough.

Yash Rathod followed a similar pattern and fell while attempting a shot outside the off stump. Devdutt Padikkal, who was one of India’s most consistent batsmen during the first unofficial Test, departed after scoring a solid 80-run knock.

The off-spinner Karnataka batsman tried to cut a delivery that was not wide enough and ended up chopping the ball onto his stumps.

The dismissal of Smaran Ravichandran further compounded India’s woes. The batter was trapped leg in front of the wicket for a golden duck after leaving an incoming delivery that came back into him.

Sheat took three of the four wickets to keep New Zealand-A firmly in control during the opening exchanges.

JUREL, WASHINGTON BE AFRAID

With India-A losing wickets at regular intervals, Dhruv Jurel and Washington Sundar were left with the responsibility of rebuilding the innings.

The pair took a cautious approach in the final hour of the second session, concentrating on bailing out the New Zealand sailors rather than taking unnecessary risks.

Jurel and Washington added 23 runs from 87 deliveries, providing some stability after the early collapse. However, India-A still needed a significant partnership to recover from the damage inflicted by the hosts.

The visitors will be hoping the pair can carry their opposition into the final session and give the middle order an opportunity to build a competitive total.

For Jaiswal, meanwhile, the unofficial second Test brought another missed opportunity to regain confidence ahead of the India-New Zealand Test series. With the opener having struggled in three consecutive innings on the tour, the remaining matches will be important for him to find some rhythm ahead of international duty.

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