Devdutt Padikkal cracked his 12th First-Class century but missed out on a massive double hundred by the barest margines as he propelled India A into the lead against New Zealand A in the first unofficial Test at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln on Monday.
Resuming India A’s second innings at 106 for two on the third day, Padikkal breezed from his overnight score of 56 to reach three figures with a six in only 128 balls. Padikkal and No. 4 Sai Sudharsan put on 215 runs for the third wicket after India A lost openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul early for the second time in the contest on Sunday.
During the knock, Padikkal also went past 1000 runs for the India A side in First-Class cricket. The century was also his third for the team across 16 appearances. While Sudharsan missed out on a century, falling on 92, Padikkal ensured that he made the knock count, moving past 150 to record his highest FC score for the India A side.
The left-hander, however, one short of his second First Class double century when he was caught behind on 199 off 248 balls. Padikkal had previously struck 232 for Karnataka in a Ranji Trophy match against Uttarakhand earlier this year.
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Padikkal had entered the tour on the back of a poor patch back home against Australia A in Puducherry. He registered three runs from as many List A matches against the Aussies and only recorded one half-century in two First-Class innings. The Karnataka batter, however, was among India’s star performers during their tour to Sri Lanka in August, having cracked three centuries.
New Zealand piled on the runs on Day 2, posting 317 in their first innings to take a commanding 204-run lead. On a green, seaming wicket, India A had been bundled out for just 113 in their first innings.
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India A endured another disastrous start in their second innings, losing both openers early for the second time in the match.
Yashasvi Jaiswal fell for five after gloving a short delivery from fast bowler Simon Keene through to the wicketkeeper. In the following over, Rahul was dismissed hit-wicket off Fraser Sheat for five, leaving India A reeling at 10/2 in the fifth over.
