The Christchurch pitch was a minefield. After losing three wickets for six runs in just six balls, India A were on the brink of a second straight humiliation. Then Dhruv Jurel grabbed the bat and refused to let go. An unbeaten 99 turned a likely rout into a respectable 291/7, keeping India A alive in the second unofficial Test against New Zealand A.
The collapse was brutal. At 160/6, the innings looked dead. Padikkal, who was cruising with fluent drives, chopped back onto his own stumps. R Smaran, playing his first match of the tour, was trapped lbw on his very first ball. Washington Sundar followed, beaten by a full delivery. In the space of minutes, the top order evaporated.
Jurel, however, had other plans. He first shared a 62-run stand with Manav Suthar for the seventh wicket. When Suthar fell for 22, Jurel didn't blink. He dragged in Akash Deep and built another 69-run partnership to survive the final nine overs of the day. The wicketkeeper-batter used his feet and the crease to master the bounce, mixing sweeps with cuts to keep the scoreboard moving.
The day wasn't without its early struggles. Yashasvi Jaiswal was gone in four balls, trapped lbw by Fraser Sheat. Sheat was the danger all day, taking 4/50 and troubling the Indian batters with late movement. Sai Sudharsan, promoted to open in KL Rahul's absence, played a patient knock but eventually edged a delivery from Jarrod McKay. Padikkal, who had scored 199 in the first game, found his rhythm with a well-timed cut to reach his half-century before the collapse hit.
New Zealand A turned to left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox late in the day, hoping to trouble the right-handed heavyweights. It didn't work. Jurel kept the pressure on, ensuring India A avoided a repeat of their batting struggles from the first Test. The battle continues tomorrow, with the visitors needing a big score to set up a fight.