India A had to endure a challenging start to their unofficial Test series against New Zealand A after being bowled out for 113 in their first innings at Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln on Saturday, October 24. Five batters failed to register any runs against a disciplined New Zealand A pace battery.

India A, despite having a decent number of international players in their ranks, struggled against the movement on offer for the seamers. Yash Rathod provided a stay of 44 balls with an unbeaten 44 while Devdutt Padikkal chipped in with 32. However, the rest of the batting unit failed to produce valuable partnerships as the home team maintained the pressure.

Simon Keene was the pick of the bowlers with a five-wicket haul while Zak Gibson took three wickets as India A were left reeling in their first innings.

KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan Among Five Indian Batters Dismissed for Ducks

India A innings got off to a poor start as New Zealand A fast bowlers took advantage of the conditions. KL Rahul, one of the most experienced members of the visiting side, had a disappointing outing as he failed to last past the eighth delivery before departing for a duck.

Sai Sudharsan also struggled, failing to make an impact before losing his wicket to Keene after 13 balls.

The left-handed batsman has been looking to bat at the forefront of the order but the New Zealand A bowlers ensured that he did not have the chance.

Dhruv Jurel also failed to score despite having been on the crease for one run before departing. Yashasvi Jaiswal tried hard to make an impact but could only manage to score 17 off 45 deliveries before falling to Gibson.

Having lost wickets early, India A struggled to recover from the opening salvo of the hosts. The middle order failed to build partnerships, allowing the hosts to stay in control and keep the visiting team on the back foot.

Simon Keene's Five-Wicket Haul Powers New Zealand A's Dominance

Keene was the standout bowler as he dismantled the Indian batting with an impressive five-wicket haul. His accuracy and ability to get assistance from the seam ensured that the visitors struggled to make any partnerships and score runs at a decent rate.

Gibson also contributed in a fine manner, claiming three wickets as the right-arm seam bowler played a key role in India's woes. The paceman was instrumental in the dismissal of Jaiswal and Padikkal, who both tried to accelerate the innings.

Sheet and Clarke both chipped in with a wicket apiece as the combined efforts of the New Zealand bowlers ensured that the hosts kept the pressure on the visitors from the very start of the innings.

The hosts made full use of the conditions at Lincoln to keep the Indian batters on the back foot throughout the innings. They ensured that India A failed to build any partnerships and the visitors' inability to do so made the opening innings a one-sided affair with the ball.

Rathod came good at the top of the order after several of his teammates had struggled.

He remained unbeaten on 44 as he displayed more patience than most of his teammates and looked to accelerate the innings when the scoring opportunities presented themselves.

His innings ensured that the visitors reached a three-figure total, but with the lack of support at the other end, Rathod failed to make a bigger contribution to the team's total. The right-handed batter was the lone bright spot in an otherwise disappointing innings for India A.

Padikkal was the other notable contributor as he scored 32 off 77 deliveries, including five boundaries. The opener tried to accelerate the innings after several wickets had fallen, but Gibson's intervention put an end to his plans.

The other batsmen struggled to make an impact. Washington Sundar, Akash Deep and Mukesh Choudhary were all dismissed without scoring, adding to India's woes.

India A were eventually bowled out for 113 in 39.3 overs, leaving the visitors with plenty to do in the remainder of the match.

India A Face an Uphill Battle After First-Innings Collapse

The opening innings highlighted the difficulties that India A can have facing a pace attack with the ability to exploit the conditions. The dismissals of Rahul, along with the lack of contribution from several other batters, made things even more difficult.

The visitors were unable to recover from the early wickets. Although Rathod and Padikkal showed that there were ways to score runs, India A lacked the partnerships to ensure that they did not face an embarrassing defeat.

New Zealand A will be encouraged by their bowling efforts and Keene's efforts with the ball. They were able to put the pressure on the visitors, which ensured that India A scored at a slow rate.

India A will need to respond well in the next innings if they are to remain in contention in the opening unofficial Test.