India A bowled out for 113 by New Zealand A in first unofficial Test
India A were dismissed for 113 in 39.3 overs by New Zealand A in the first unofficial Test in New Zealand on October 24, 2026, with Simon Keene taking 5/24. New Zealand A elected to bowl first and exploited a grass-covered pitch from the outset.
The match forms part of India’s ongoing all-format tour of New Zealand, which includes five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests, and the unofficial Test is being used to help India’s Test hopefuls acclimatise to local conditions. India A’s early collapse against seam bowling provided an immediate example of the challenges players face on a swinging surface.
Fraser Sheat struck in the opening phase, dismissing KL Rahul for a duck after the opener faced eight deliveries. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Devdutt Padikkal attempted to rebuild but Zak Gibson removed Jaiswal for 17 off 45 balls.
Padikkal made 32 off 77 deliveries before Gibson returned to claim his wicket as the innings began to fall apart. Sai Sudharsan fell for a duck to Keene, who then dismissed Dhruv Jurel for one, and Washington Sundar also departed without scoring.
Keene finished with figures of 5/24 in 11.3 overs, extracting movement from the surface, while Zak Gibson claimed three wickets and Sheat took one. New Zealand A’s pace attack kept consistent pressure on the India A batting line-up throughout the innings.
Yash Rathod remained unbeaten on 44 off 49 balls, hitting three fours and three sixes, and Anshul Kamboj contributed 10 as Rathod’s counter-attacking knock helped India A reach the 100-run mark before the innings closed at 113. No other substantial partnerships materialised for India A.
The lack of sustained partnerships and the frequency of wickets will be a concern for India A’s management, and the team will need a stronger showing in the remainder of the unofficial Test series as India prepares for the senior side’s two-match Test series against New Zealand.
