India A’s batting line-up crumbled for 113 in their warm-up match against New Zealand A at Lincoln, exposing struggles against seam-friendly conditions and prompting sharp criticism from veteran commentator Harsha Bhogle about the nature of Indian pitches at home.
The first unofficial four-day Test began with New Zealand A’s Rhys Mariu and Curtis Heaphy putting on a 131-run opening stand, leaving India A’s bowlers searching for answers. Mariu went on to score 76 before being trapped leg before wicket by Mukesh Choudhary, who ended the innings with 5/24. Despite some late breakthroughs from Aquib Nabi, New Zealand A reached 135 for 3 by the close of play, comfortably ahead of India A’s total.
India A’s batting collapse unfolded quickly on a lively Lincoln pitch that offered seam and bounce. KL Rahul fell for a duck to Fraser Sheat before the innings settled, and Yashasvi Jaiswal managed only 17 off 45 balls before Zak Gibson removed him. Devdutt Padikkal was the lone batter to show some resistance, scoring 32 including five boundaries, but he too fell to Gibson after facing 77 deliveries.
Sai Sudharsan and captain Dhruv Jurel could not make an impact, dismissed cheaply by Simon Keene, who was instrumental in the collapse. Jurel managed only a single run before falling to Keene’s second wicket, while Sudharsan was out for a duck. Lower down the order, Yash Rathod’s unbeaten 44 from 49 balls, including three sixes, offered some resistance but not enough to push the total beyond 113.
The defeat raised questions about the preparation of Indian players for overseas Test conditions. Harsha Bhogle took to X to criticise the pitches used in Indian domestic cricket, describing them as “bland” and “heartless.” He wrote: “A very good India A side bowled out for 113 and a good bowling line-up being countered easily by New Zealand A. The very reason why home and away cricket is important and why you must learn to play on different surfaces rather than on the same, bland, heartless pitches we think are good for T20 cricket.”
Bhogle’s comments pointed to a broader issue within Indian cricket, where pitches are often prepared to favour stroke play and high-scoring games, especially in the shorter formats. This, he suggested, leaves players ill-equipped for the challenges of seam and swing conditions overseas.
The India A team included several players in contention for Test spots, such as Rahul, Jaiswal, Sudharsan, and Padikkal. Their failure to negotiate the conditions in Lincoln serves as a warning ahead of the senior team’s two-Test series against New Zealand starting on November 19 in Wellington.
The toss had favoured New Zealand A captain Rhys Mariu, who chose to field first after judging the conditions correctly. His decision paid off as India’s top order struggled immediately. The collapse came after just 39.3 overs, reflecting the difficulty faced by Indian batsmen on a surface that demanded patience and technique rather than aggressive stroke play.
India A has two more unofficial Tests left on this tour to adapt to the conditions and prepare for the senior series. The early setback in Lincoln will provide valuable lessons, particularly on handling the seam and bounce that are common in New Zealand.
The bowling effort from the Indian side showed promise but was not enough to contain the home team’s openers. Mariu and Heaphy’s partnership put New Zealand A in command, and despite wickets from Choudhary and Nabi, the visitors remained behind.
As India’s Test hopefuls face a steep learning curve in New Zealand, Bhogle’s critique draws attention to the gap between domestic conditions in India and the demands of overseas cricket. The upcoming matches will test how quickly these players can adjust and whether the experience gained on this tour can translate into better performances in the senior Test series.
According to Yahoo Sports.