New Zealand A finished at 135/3, with Curtis Heaphy unbeaten on 37. India A’s bowlers fought back late in the day, with Auqib Nabi taking two wickets in successive deliveries to keep the contest interesting.
New Zealand A won the toss and chose to field on a green pitch that offered help to the seamers. Simon Keene led the attack with five wickets for 24 runs, while Zak Gibson claimed three for 29.
India A’s top order failed to cope with the conditions. KL Rahul was dismissed for a duck after chasing a delivery outside off stump, while Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 17 before edging a catch to first slip.
Keene struck twice in quick succession, removing Sai Sudharsan for a duck and captain Dhruv Jurel for one. India A were left struggling early in their innings.
Devdutt Padikkal offered some resistance at No. 3, scoring 32 runs. However, he fell off the first ball he faced after lunch, leaving India A at 56/5. Washington Sundar was dismissed without scoring as the visitors continued to lose wickets.
