India-A vs New Zealand-A, Day 2: Padikkal, Sudharsan steady ship

Sudharsan and Padikkal helped India-A avoid another batting collapse. | Photo Credit: BCCI/X

After being skittled out for a paltry 113 on Day 1, India-A’s batting came good on Day 2 of the four-day Test against New Zealand-A on Sunday.

Test regulars Devdutt Padikkal (batting on 56 off 89 balls) and Sai Sudharsan (batting on 39 off 104 balls) helped the visitor recover from a precarious position and put them within sight of overhauling the first-innings deficit.

Earlier, the home side, resuming at 135/3, was bowled out for 317. Pacers Anshul Kamboj and Auqib Nabi operated in tandem and used the green surface on offer to full effect to test the New Zealand batters.

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The duo combined for three wickets apiece as they led India-A’s fightback. For the Blackcaps, captain Rhys Mariu top-scored with 76 off 137 balls, while Dean Foxcroft scored a fifty (51 off 79 balls) batting down the order. Among other bowlers, Bengal pacer Akash Deep chipped in with two scalps, while Mukesh Choudhary picked one, snaring Rhys when the opener was looking well-set for a hundred.

In its second batting essay, India-A’s openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and K.L. Rahul were dismissed cheaply again. Jaiswal was dismissed for five runs, caught by Mitchell Hay off Simon Keene’s bowling. Rahul, on the other hand, came to be his own undoing as he was out hit-wicket for four runs.

With the openers dismissed cheaply, India was seemingly staring at another collapse. However, Sudharsan and Padikkal ensured that wasn’t the case as the visitor finished the day on 106/2.