India A’s Devdutt Padikkal roared back to form in style, with a knock of 199 in the first unofficial Test against New Zealand A in Lincoln on Monday. Padikkal missed out on a double century by just one run. He was dismissed by Zak Gibson in the 89th over, leaving India A at 369/5 in the second innings.
Resuming the day’s play unbeaten on 56, continued his innings with considerable authority, eventually scoring 199 off 248 deliveries. His knock included 24 fours and three sixes, helping recover from a difficult position after their disappointing first-innings performance.
The left-hander’s dismissal came just before the tea interval when he edged a delivery from fast bowler Zak Gibson to wicketkeeper Mitchell Hay.
Padikkal appeared unhappy with the decision, believing that the ball had passed his bat without making contact. However, the dismissal brought an end to an innings that had transformed the contest.
Padikkal’s contribution was particularly significant considering the way how India A got off in their second innings. The visitors had been bowled out for just 113 runs after New Zealand A opted to field.
The hosts then responded with a total of 317, thus establishing a substantial 204-run lead. Captain Rhys Mariu top-scored with a knock of 76, while Dean Foxcroft contributed 51 runs. Kristian Clarke (42) and Curtis Heaphy (44) also made useful contributions.
India A’s second innings began poorly, with Yashasvi Jaiswal dismissed for five and KL Rahul falling for four. The visitors were reduced to 10/2, putting them under considerable pressure.
Padikkal then combined with Sai Sudharsan to rebuild the innings. The left-handed pair added 215 runs for the third wicket, with Sudharsan contributing 91 off 184 deliveries, including 12 boundaries.
The partnership took India A past New Zealand A’s first-innings total and provided the foundation for a substantial recovery. Sudharsan eventually fell to Kristian Clarke, missing out on a century by nine runs. Padikkal, however, continued his impressive innings and found another productive partner in Yash Rathod.
The duo added 142 runs for the fifth wicket, with Rathod contributing 66 off 72 balls, including eight fours. Their partnership further strengthened India’s position before Padikkal’s dismissal at 369/5. Rathod subsequently departed for 66, leaving India A at 378/6 at one stage.
The Karnataka batter featured in both of India’s Tests against Sri Lanka in August, and scored a century each in both the matches. He finished the series as India’s highest run-getter with 328 runs from three innings at an average of 109.33.
However, since then, he has had mixed outings. He scored a half-century in the second innings of the first unofficial Test against Australia A in Puducherry, but apart from that, he has endured scores of 3, 31 and 26.
He then featured in the three-match unofficial ODI series against Australia A, wherein he scored just three runs across all matches.
The two-match unofficial Test series between New Zealand A and India A acts as a preparation for the upcoming two-match Test series between New Zealand and India in New Zealand, scheduled to begin on 19 November.
