- New Zealand A took a 78-run lead in the first innings despite Mukesh Kumar taking five wickets. Mukesh Kumar took his twelfth first-class five-wicket haul, but contributions from Matthew Boyle and Dean Foxcroft in the lower order helped New Zealand A to a lead of 424 and a commanding lead.
- New Zealand A took a 78-run first innings lead despite Mukesh Kumar taking five wickets.
- (Photo Source: Twitter /
New Zealand A took a 78-run lead in the first innings despite Mukesh Kumar taking five wickets. Mukesh Kumar took his twelfth first-class five-wicket haul, but contributions from Matthew Boyle and Dean Foxcroft in the lower order helped New Zealand A to a lead of 424 and a commanding lead.
New Zealand A took a 78-run first innings lead despite Mukesh Kumar taking five wickets. (Photo Source: Twitter / Despite Mukesh Kumar’s impressive five-wicket return, New Zealand’s lower league team fought determinedly to put the hosts in full control at the end of the third day.
Mukesh Kumar finished the game with 5/87, his 12th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket. Mohammed Siraj supported him with 4/118 but the pair could not stop New Zealand A from building a significant lead. India A resumed their second innings and reached 32/0 at stumps, still trailing by 46 runs, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan at bat.
How did New Zealand A’s lower division extend its lead? Dean Foxcroft contributed 93 before being beaten by Siraj, while Matthew Boyle scored 110 to secure New Zealand’s A innings. Fraser Sheat added 40 points and hit five boundaries and a six during his time at the crease.
The lower order proved particularly tenacious, with Jayden Lennox and Jarrod McKay forming a partnership that spanned almost 25 overs. Siraj had the opportunity to shorten the game when he dropped Lennox in the second over of their 12-point partnership and that delay proved costly. McKay was eventually dismissed by Washington Sundar in the 30th over, but by then New Zealand A had already pushed their overall average well past 400.
Brett Randell also contributed to the lower order resistance as Mitchell Hay had already provided useful runs. The combined performance of the bottom team saw India A trail by 78 runs at the start of the second innings. What did India A’s first and second innings look like?
India A’s first innings total of 346 innings relied on the contributions of several batters. Dhruv Jurel top scored with 106 points while Devdutt Padikkal scored 80 points and Akash Deep scored further back with 68 points. These three innings gave India A a competitive result, but New Zealand A’s batting depth ultimately proved the difference.
As India A began the second innings, Jaiswal and Sudharsan reduced the deficit to 46 runs by stump on the third day to reach 32/0 without loss. There are still two full days of play left and India A will have to fight until the fourth day to set a target.
