India A concede a 78-run lead at Hagley Oval despite Jurel's 105 and Siraj's four wickets

India A go into the final day at Hagley Oval behind New Zealand A, who turned a 128-run deficit into a 78-run first-innings lead

New Zealand A were bowled out for 424 in 132.5 overs in the second unofficial Test in Christchurch, an innings built on Matt Boyle’s 110 and Dean Foxcroft’s 93 after the hosts had been 13 for 3 inside eight overs.

India A, who batted first after New Zealand A chose to bowl, had made 346. They were 24 for 0 in their second innings in the final session of day three, still 54 runs behind.

Dhruv Jurel’s 105 and Mohammed Siraj’s four wickets were the best of India A’s match, and neither was enough to keep the hosts from going in front.

Boyle and Foxcroft answer the new ball

Siraj removed the New Zealand A captain Rhys Mariu for 4, caught behind by Jurel, and Mukesh Kumar accounted for Curtis Heaphy and Tim Robinson, both for low scores, to leave the hosts three down for 13.

Boyle and Foxcroft then put on 205 for the fourth wicket across 62 overs, an unbroken stand at stumps on day two that had already shifted the match.

Boyle reached his hundred on the second evening and went on to 110 from 152 balls before Siraj had him caught by Devdutt Padikkal. Foxcroft was the more watchful, batting 226 balls for 93 before Siraj trapped him lbw.

Seven wickets, 206 runs

New Zealand A resumed day three on 218 for 3 and added another 206 runs for the loss of their last seven wickets, which was the difference between a deficit and a lead.

Mukesh Kumar had been the most successful India A bowler on day two with 2-44 from his 16 overs, Siraj holding one wicket for 49 at that point. Washington Sundar and Akash Deep had gone wicketless.

Siraj came back on the third day for the two that mattered, Boyle and Foxcroft, and finished the innings with four. By the time the last wicket fell the lead was 78.

Jurel one run short overnight

India A’s own innings had needed a rescue. Jurel, their captain, walked in at 131 for 3, watched the side slide to 160 for 6, and was 99 not out when day one closed.

He reached three figures the next morning and was dismissed for 105 from 171 balls, with 11 fours and three sixes, Brett Randell ending the stand with the total on 297. It was his eighth first-class hundred and his first outside Asia.

Jurel added 62 for the seventh wicket with Manav Suthar and 75 for the eighth with Akash Deep, whose 68 from 116 balls carried the lower order past 300.

Devdutt Padikkal’s 80 and B Sai Sudharsan’s 41 were the other scores of substance. Fraser Sheat was the best of the New Zealand A bowlers with 4-63 from 24 overs, and Randell took 2-66.

India A begin again

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan were together when India A batted a second time, with Sheat and Randell sharing the new ball.

India A must clear the deficit on the final day before the match becomes anything other than a defensive exercise, on a surface that has already produced 770 runs across the two first innings.

A useful week for Jurel

The hundred was Jurel’s answer to a quiet start on tour: he made 1 and 2 in the first unofficial Test at Lincoln.

He has 651 runs at 40.68 in Tests since his debut in February 2024, with two hundreds and two fifties, and is in India’s squad for the Test leg of this tour as a wicketkeeping option.

Scorecard: India A 346 (Dhruv Jurel 105, Devdutt Padikkal 80, Akash Deep 68; Fraser Sheat 4-63, Brett Randell 2-66) and 24 for 0; New Zealand A 424 (Matt Boyle 110, Dean Foxcroft 93; Mukesh Kumar 2-44) — India A trail by 54 runs.

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