Jurel’s 99 and Padikkal’s 80 steer India-A to 291/7 on opening day in Christchurch

Dhruv Jurel and Devdutt Padikkal put India-A in a strong position on the opening day of the four-day match against New Zealand-A in Christchurch on Saturday, October 31, 2026, as India-A reached 291 for seven. Jurel was unbeaten on 99 and Padikkal made 80 at stumps.

New Zealand-A, who won the toss, had struck early when Yashasvi Jaiswal was trapped leg-before by pacer Fraser Sheat in the first over, but India-A were 87 for one at lunch. The innings featured contributions through the order and a mid-innings recovery after the early setbacks.

After lunch, Sai Sudharsan was dismissed for 41 in the first over, and Padikkal responded by bringing up a fifty off 101 balls with a boundary through the point off McKay; India-A were 131 for two at that stage. Padikkal’s knock provided the platform for the middle-order rebuilding.

New Zealand-A then struck with three wickets in the space of seven runs, but Jurel combined with Manav Suthar to steady the innings; the seventh-wicket pair added 62 runs, with Suthar contributing 22. Those runs arrested the earlier slide and extended India-A’s resistance.

Late in the day Jurel and Akash Deep were at the crease, Jurel on 99 from 155 balls and Akash Deep on 25, and the eighth-wicket pair had added 69 in 18.4 overs by close. Their stand occupied significant time and overs as the day ended.

The India-A innings consumed 88 overs in total, with Fraser Sheat finishing with figures of 4 for 80. The match scorecard at stumps read India-A 291 for seven against New Zealand-A.

Toss: New Zealand-A.