India A-New Zealand A series ends drawn after Lincoln washout

India A and New Zealand A finished their three-match unofficial Test series level at 0-0 after rain washed out the final two days of the third match in Lincoln. The game was called off early at 1pm local time on the fourth day, with no play possible after the rain returned shortly after the covers had briefly come off.

India A had declared at 464 for 5, with New Zealand A 36 for 2 in reply when the match ended. The weather denied both sides a chance to push for a result, with not a single delivery bowled on either the third or fourth day of the final four-day fixture.

The drawn series nevertheless provided valuable red-ball time for several players ahead of the two-Test series between New Zealand and India, which begins on November 19. India A’s batting returns were led by Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal and B Sai Sudharsan, while Prasidh Krishna made both breakthroughs in New Zealand A’s brief reply in Lincoln.

India A batters make their case

Jaiswal’s 102 in the third unofficial Test was his second century of the series. The opener ended the campaign with 279 runs in five innings at an average of 69.75, extending his productive red-ball run.

Sudharsan made 88 in India A’s only innings at Lincoln after scoring 91 in the first match. Padikkal, meanwhile, had made the largest individual score of the series with 199 in the opening game. The pair were among the top three run-getters in the series as they featured in the contest for India’s No. 3 batting position.

India A’s 464 for 5 declared also included 81 not out from Tilak Varma and 71 from Dhruv Jurel. Tilak, who is yet to make his Test debut and was not part of India’s Test squad for this tour, remained unbeaten when the declaration came on the second day. Jurel added his 71 to a century earlier in the series.

For New Zealand A, Dean Foxcroft was the leading batter across the three matches. He scored 196 runs in four innings at an average of 65.33, including a best of 93 in the second game in Christchurch. Zak Gibson led the bowling charts with eight wickets, and returned 2 for 73 in India’s Lincoln innings.

Rain limits bowling preparation in Lincoln

India used the third match to give several bowlers game time before the senior Test series. Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and Prasidh all featured, but the rain severely restricted their opportunities after India’s declaration.

Bumrah and Prasidh bowled only 11 overs combined, while Jadeja did not get the chance to bowl. Bumrah went wicketless, but Prasidh took both New Zealand A wickets to fall, finishing with 2 for 12 as the hosts reached 36 for 2.

The washout meant the final match could not alter a series in which every fixture ended without a winner. India A leave with substantial contributions from their leading batters, while New Zealand A had strong individual returns from Foxcroft and Gibson, but the 0-0 result reflects how little decisive play was available across the final contest in Lincoln.