Padikkal rescues India A as they finish Day 2 trailing New Zealand A by 98
Devdutt Padikkal rescued India A by remaining unbeaten on 56 as they reached 106 for 2 at stumps on Day 2 of the first unofficial Test against New Zealand A on October 25, 2026. Padikkal and Sai Sudharsan compiled an unbeaten 96-run partnership for the third wicket, but India A still trailed New Zealand A by 98 runs.
New Zealand A had resumed on 135 for 3 and recovered to 317 all out in 89.3 overs against India A’s first-innings total of 113, giving the hosts a first-innings lead of 204. India A’s second innings began late in the second session and collapsed to 10 for 2 before the third-wicket stand stabilised the visitors. The match is scheduled as a four-day game with two days remaining after stumps on Day 2.
Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul failed again as openers for India A, leaving the side under early pressure. Zak Gibson removed Jaiswal for a duck when the ball brushed his gloves and Matthew Boyle took the catch at slip. Rahul, having hit his first boundary off 11 balls, inside-edged the next delivery toward the stumps, then inadvertently struck the stumps with his bat and was bowled.
Padikkal and Sudharsan rebuilt the innings with patience; Padikkal was unbeaten on 56 from 89 balls with nine boundaries while Sudharsan finished 39 not out from 104 deliveries with five fours. Their stand took India A to 106 for 2 after 36 overs, preventing an immediate collapse and leaving the visitors with time in which to attempt to erase the deficit.
Padikkal had also been India A’s top specialist batter in the first innings, scoring 32 off 77 balls at No. 3. The report notes his recent red-ball run, citing that he was India’s leading batter during the two-Test series in Sri Lanka in August and followed that with a half-century against Australia A in Puducherry.
New Zealand A’s first-innings batting featured a patient 76 off 137 balls from captain Rhys Mariu and a fifty from Dean Foxcroft (51), while Curtis Heaphy made 44, Kristian Clarke 42 and wicketkeeper Mitchell Hay 24. India’s bowlers shared the wickets but conceded 46 extras; Anshul Kamboj and Auqib Nabi took three wickets apiece (Kamboj 3 for 52, Nabi 3 for 69), Akash Deep claimed two, and Mukesh Choudhary and Washington Sundar took one each.
India A will need Padikkal and Sudharsan to extend their partnership on Monday, with captain Dhruv Jurel, Yas Rathod and Washington Sundar named among those expected to contribute if the visitors are to build a competitive position. The immediate aim for Day 3 is to turn the current third-wicket stand into a substantial partnership to reduce the 98-run deficit before attempting to set New Zealand A a target.