The Jammu & Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi put the new ball and favourable conditions to good use with three strikes within eight deliveries. After a stellar comeback with the bat, India A looked set for a win, but opener Curtis Heaphy dug in his heels and batted time with the lower order to salvage a draw for New Zealand A. On Day 4 of the four-day match, India A set a target of 313 for New Zealand A. It turned out to be an anticlimax for the visitors, who were bowled out for 113 in the first innings and then made a comeback.
Deep hits hat-trick of sixes
India A started Day 4 with an overnight score of 488/8. In overcast conditions, Washington Sundar fell to left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox. He went across the line, and the top-edge went to Tim Robinson inside the 30-yard circle. Sundar fell for 52 off 80 balls.
In the next over, Akash Deep used the long handle to perfection. Zak Gibson bowled it short, and Deep hit it over deep mid-wicket for a six. Gibson bowled it even shorter, and this time Deep went deep into the crease and smashed the ball over the fine-leg boundary for a maximum, sending the fielder to search for the ball near the trees. Deep hit a hat-trick of sixes, hitting another short ball over the deep mid-wicket fence.
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In his next over, Gibson dismissed Mukesh Choudhary caught and bowled. Choudhary scored two runs from four balls. Deep remained unbeaten for a 17-ball 25 cameo, taking India A’s score to 516.
Nabi strikes thrice with new ball
Nabi got the new ball in hand instead of being used as the first-change bowler. After a maiden to skipper Rhys Mariu, he knocked him over with an in-swinging delivery. Mariu's bat was nowhere near the ball as Nabi struck early. Tim Robinson bagged a pair. He got out lbw to Nabi. The batter was not happy as he felt that the ball was swinging down the leg side and hit him high on the pads. After a double-wicket maiden, Nabi was hit for a boundary by Matthew Boyle. He followed it up with a no-ball. Then, the pacer squared up left-handed batter Boyle to send the off-stump cartwheeling. New Zealand A lost three wickets for just 13 runs in 4.2 overs.
Heaphy and Dean Foxcroft did damage control after three early wickets. At the end of the first session, New Zealand A were 58/3.
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Hosts lose 3 wickets after rain delay
Early into the second session, rain played spoilsport. Nearly two hours were wasted due to rain interruption. Left-arm pacer Choudhary broke the partnership with Foxcroft's wicket. Foxcroft went for the pull shot and got caught at square leg. He was dismissed for 42 off 67 deliveries. Mitchell Hay did not last long at the crease. Anshul Kamboj got him out, caught behind. He was not happy with the umpire's decision, as it seemed the ball may have brushed the thigh pad on its way to Dhruv Jurel. In the next over, Heaphy struck two fours to reach his half-century from 81 balls.
The first over of spin came in the 37th over. Sundar was introduced into the attack. He delivered the wicket of Kristian Clarke. At the end of the second session, New Zealand A were 132/6.
Padikkal rolls his arm and strikes twice
In the last session, Jurel felt that spin is the way to go. He handed the ball to Padikkal, who had staged India A's comeback with a 199-run knock. In his first over, Padikkal got his first wicket in first-class cricket. Fraser Sheat played for the spin, but it went straight. KL Rahul took a regular catch at first slip as India A players were surprised to see the gamble play off. In his third over, Padikkal went round the wicket to Gibson. He tried to defend it, but an outside edge led to another catch for Rahul at first slip. New Zealand A lost eight wickets for 160.
Heaphy, Lennox and bad light snatch win from India A
On the other end, Heaphy continued to hold the fort, and Sundar couldn't get through. Deep was brought back into the attack, and he knocked over Simon Keene, sending the off-stump for a walk. New Zealand A were 170/9 after 55.3 overs. It seemed the game was in India A's bag.
Heaphy and no.11 batter Lennox went for a blockathon. Lennox has a first-class fifty to his name, and he kept India A bowlers at bay. They batted for 57 balls before bad light stopped play. Opener Heaphy remained unbeaten for 90 off 187 balls. Lennox faced 24 balls and scored six runs.
Headache for selectors?
Nabi, who was dropped from the Test squad, took three wickets in each innings. Kamboj and Deep took four and three wickets, respectively, in the match. The New Zealand conditions are favouring Nabi, at least the way he swings the new ball. But he hasn’t found a place. Depending on how it goes in the next India A game and the last two ODIs, selectors would wonder whether they should ask Nabi to stay in New Zealand for the Test series as well.
India’s Test batting trio spend little time at the crease
Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rahul and wicketkeeper-batter Jurel managed to score just 29 runs combined in the match. While Jaiswal and Jurel will be available for the next couple of games, Rahul will join the ODI side and miss the next game.
Jaiswal hasn’t scored a fifty in his last seven innings in red-ball cricket. Rahul has scored just nine runs from his previous four innings. Jurel missed opportunities to prevent a collapse and then build on the platform in the second innings.
After a draw in the series opener, India A will travel to Christchurch. The second unofficial Test at Hagley Oval will begin on October 31. Rahul will join the ODI side. The first ODI of the series begins on November 4 at Eden Park, Auckland.