A stubborn tenth-wicket partnership between Curtis Heaphy and Jayden Lennox denied India A a stunning turnaround victory on the final day of the first unofficial Test in Lincoln on Tuesday, Cricbuzz reported. Skittled out for just 113 and having conceded a 204-run first-innings lead, India A's revival was built on Devdutt Padikkal's magnificent 199 in the second innings, with fifties from Sai Sudharsan, Yash Rathod and Washington Sundar helping the visitors pile on 516 before a well-rounded bowling effort had the hosts on the ropes — but New Zealand A's resistance and fading light meant India A had to settle for a draw.

Source: Cricbuzz

India A resumed the fourth day on 488 for 8, and Akash Deep smashed Zak Gibson for a hat-trick of sixes before the innings closed at 516, setting New Zealand A a target of 313, IANS reported. Auqib Nabi then dismissed Rhys Mariu and Tim Robinson with inswingers in the same over and bowled Matthew Boyle in his next, leaving the hosts reeling at 13 for 3. Heaphy and Dean Foxcroft steadied the innings with a 78-run stand, Foxcroft making 42 before Mukesh Choudhary broke the partnership with a short-ball ploy, and Mitchell Hay fell to Anshul Kamboj after a brief counterattack.

Source: IANS via The Freedom Press

In the final session, India A found an unlikely wicket-taker in Padikkal, whose off-breaks dismissed Fraser Sheat — his maiden first-class wicket — and Gibson a few overs later, before Akash Deep dismissed Simon Keene to put the visitors on the cusp of victory at nine wickets down, Cricbuzz reported. Heaphy, unbeaten on 90 off 187 balls, and Lennox then survived 57 deliveries together until the umpires took the players off for fading light with 18 overs still to be bowled.

Source: Cricbuzz

The brief scores underline how far India A came back: India A 113 all out (Yash Rathod 44 not out; Simon Keene 5 for 24, Zak Gibson 3 for 29) and 516 all out (Padikkal 199 off 248 balls with 24 fours and three sixes, Sudharsan 91, Rathod 66, Sundar 52; Gibson 3 for 80) drew with New Zealand A 317 (Mariu 76, Foxcroft 51; Anshul Kamboj 3 for 52, Nabi 3 for 69) and 187 for 9 (Heaphy 90 not out; Nabi 3 for 28), ANI reported. Nabi finished with six wickets in the match, taking three in each innings. CricTracker noted the India A side was captained by Dhruv Jurel.

Source: ANI via LatestLY