A number of Indian Test players are part of the India A squad for the red-ball series against New Zealand A.
India A suffered a severe batting collapse, getting skittled out for a paltry 113 runs in just 39.3 overs against New Zealand A on Day 1 of the first unofficial Test match at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln.
The green-top wicket heavily favoured fast bowlers, causing five Indian players to be dismissed for ducks.
Senior Test-bound figures struggled badly. KL Rahul departed for an 8-ball duck in the third over, while his opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal managed just 17 runs.
Apart from Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Washington Sundar, Akash Deep, and Mukesh Choudhary failed to open their accounts. Leading the India A side for the first time Down Under, Dhruv Jurel was dismissed for only 1 run.
Lower-order batter Yash Rathod played a counter-attacking knock of 44* off 49 balls (including three sixes and three fours), while Devdutt Padikkal contributed 32 runs to offer some stability.
Kiwi pacer Simon Keene was the destroyer-in-chief, picking up a stellar five-wicket haul (5/24) to dismantle the visitors.
In reply, New Zealand A's opening pair of Rhys Mariu (76) and Curtis Heaphy (37*) put up a dominant 132-run stand. However, late strikes by India A's Auqib Nabi—who took two wickets in consecutive deliveries—pulled things back slightly before stumps.
At the close of play, the hosts reached 135/3 after 41 overs, establishing a 22-run lead with seven wickets remaining.
Brief Scores: India A 113 all-out (Yash Rathod 44*, Devdutt Padikkal 32; Simon Keene 5-24, Zak Gibson 3-29) trail New Zealand A 135/3 (Rhys Mariu 76, Curtis Heaphy 37*; Auqib Nabi 2-31, Mukesh Choudhary 1-30) by 22 runs.