Devdutt Padikkal falls for 199 on a disputed call as India A stretch their lead to 284

Devdutt Padikkal was given out caught behind for 199 at Lincoln, one run short of a double century, after an innings that turned the first unofficial Test on its head

India A closed the third day against New Zealand A on 488 for 8, a lead of 284, having been bowled out for 113 in their first innings at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval.

Padikkal made 199 from 248 balls with 24 fours and three sixes. He resumed the morning on 56 and was dismissed in the 89th over, caught behind by Mitchell Hay off the bowling of Zak Gibson.

It is his highest first-class score for India A and his third century for the side. The innings also left the tourists in front in a match they had looked certain to lose two days earlier.

One run short

Padikkal reached three figures after lunch with a six and went on without an obvious alarm, adding runs at a shade over four an over through the middle session.

He was on 199 when Gibson angled one down the leg side. Padikkal appeared to miss his attempted clip, the ball carried through to Hay, and the appeal was upheld.

Padikkal gestured towards the umpire and left slowly, convinced the ball had not touched the bat. There is no DRS in unofficial Tests, so the on-field call stood.

From 113 all out to a lead

New Zealand A had chosen to field and made 317 in 89.3 overs. India A's reply lasted only 39.3 overs before they were dismissed for 113, a deficit of 204.

The second innings began no better. Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul both fell inside the first five overs, leaving India A 10 for 2 and still 194 behind.

Everything since has come from the middle order. The tourists have batted 119 overs in the innings and passed their first-innings total more than four times over.

Sudharsan and Rathod share the load

Padikkal's stand of 215 with Sai Sudharsan for the third wicket was the partnership that rescued the match. Sudharsan fell in the nineties, short of a century, bowled out by Kristian Clarke in the 62nd over.

Dhruv Jurel went two overs later, but Padikkal found another partner in Yash Rathod and the pair added 142 for the fifth wicket.

Clarke was the most used of the New Zealand A bowlers, returning 2 for 99 from 26 overs on a surface that offered less as the innings went on.

A lower order that kept going

The lead was only 174 when Rathod was out at 378 for 6, with two days still to play and the tail exposed.

It has grown by more than a hundred since. Auqib Nabi made 38 before becoming the eighth man out at 488, and Washington Sundar was unbeaten on 51 at the close with Akash Deep alongside him.

India A have two wickets in hand and a lead that has already passed anything either side has managed in an innings here.

What the final day asks

With a day to play, India A are better placed to set a target than to bat long, and New Zealand A have not yet faced a fourth-innings question on this pitch.

New Zealand A will take some comfort from the first innings: 113 on this ground is evidence that the surface can still misbehave.

The match is India A's to win or draw, and the manner of the turnaround will matter as much as the result to a side built around players close to the Test squad.

Scorecard: New Zealand A 317 (89.3 overs); India A 113 (39.3 overs) and 488 for 8 (119 overs) — India A lead by 284 runs at stumps on day three.

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