Lincoln: Devdutt Padikkal and B Sai Sudharsan led India A's fightback on Day 2 of the first unofficial Test against New Zealand A, taking the visitors to 106 for 2 in their second innings at stumps, still trailing by 98 runs, the ESPNcricinfo match report said.
Source: ESPNcricinfo match report via BestDeals News
New Zealand A had earlier posted 317, a first-innings lead of 204 over India A's 113, with Rhys Mariu making 76, Dean Foxcroft 51, Curtis Heaphy 44 and Kristian Clarke 42. Anshul Kamboj took 3 for 52, Auqib Nabi 3 for 69 and Akash Deep 2 for 57 for India A, the report said.
Source: ESPNcricinfo match report via BestDeals News
India A lost openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (5) and KL Rahul (4) early again and slipped to 10 for 2. Rahul was out hit-wicket off Fraser Sheat: after an inside edge trickled towards the stumps, he tried to push the ball away and his bat dislodged the bails, SportsTak and CricketAddictor reported. Rahul's scores in the match are 0 and 4, and Jaiswal's are 17 and 5.
Source: SportsTak
Padikkal, who was dropped by Mariu at second slip early in his innings, reached 56 not out off 89 balls, while Sudharsan made a chanceless 39 not out off 104 balls. Their 96-run stand, scored over 188 balls, steadied India A after the early losses, the ESPNcricinfo report said.
Source: ESPNcricinfo match report via BestDeals News
Padikkal and Sudharsan are both seen as contenders for the No. 3 spot in the Test series against New Zealand that begins in the third week of November, the report added.
Source: ESPNcricinfo match report via BestDeals News
Sources: ESPNcricinfo match report, October 25, 2026, via BestDeals News; SportsTak, October 25, 2026; CricketAddictor, October 25, 2026.