New Zealand A’s four day match against India A in Visakhapatnam has finished in a draw.
The New Zealanders attained a narrow seven-run lead from the first innings, after dismissing India for 430. Behind Tom Latham (61) and Carl Cachopa (76) New Zealand extended that lead and reached 176 for three in the second innings before stumps was called.
India resumed at 408 for seven and added an extra 22 runs to their overnight total, but were undone by Mark Gillespie in the morning session. The right-arm bowler captured the final three wickets required cheaply, and finished with figures of four for 80 from 29.3 overs.
A draw looked certain and Latham and Cachopa made sure New Zealand avoided any collapse with a 128 run partnership for the second wicket.
New Zealand A Captain Tom Latham says: “It was pleasing to come away and get ten wickets in the Indian innings and the way we followed that up with the bat in the afternoon was good.
“Corey’s and Anton’s centuries are two main positives from the match. To win Test matches you need guys getting hundreds and they stood up for us in the first innings.
“Also the way Mark and Doug went about their work with the ball in tough conditions was really impressive and gaining a small first innings lead was a reward of that.
“We now look forward to the shorter form.”
New Zealand A play the first of three one day matches against India A on Sunday at 9:00pm local time (3:30pm NZ time).
Day three: Draw looms for New Zealand A
A strong showing by India A on day three of their four day match against New Zealand A will likely see the match in Visakhapatnam finish in a draw.
The hosts took their overnight score of 94 for two through to 408 for seven, leaving them 29 behind New Zealand A’s first innings total of 437.Neither team has had their second innings..
Vasudevan Jagadeesh (91) and Manprit Juneja (178 not out) continued where they left off yesterday and overall added 197 runs for the third wicket, before Doug Bracewell bowled Jagadeesh in the 71st over.
Jagadeesh’s replacement Abishek Nayar added 57, while Juneja extended his stay and made his fifth First Class century. Bracewell once again was the one to break the partnership, rattling the sumps of Nayar.
Corey Anderson then chimed in with a wicket, while Todd Astle took two towards the end of the day to make them seven down. Juneja remains though and has so far struck 19 fours and a six in the 336 balls he has faced.
New Zealand A Coach Grant Bradburn says: “India played really well. It was a tough day for the team in the park today, but they can be proud of the way they stuck at it.
“It was probably the hottest day of the tour so far and conditions didn’t deteriorate as much as we’d hoped. It’s still a very good batting surface.
“The pick of the bowers today was probably Doug Bracewell, who bowled really well for his three wicket reward and kept toiling away in the sun. To bowl 22 overs today was a fantastic effort.“
Play will resume at 9:30am local time (4pm NZ time).
Day two: Bracewell gives New Zealand A advantage
A ninth wicket partnership worth 162-runs between Doug Bracewell (96) and Ish Sodhi (57) gave New Zealand A a first innings total of 437 on day two of their four day match against India A in Visakhapatnam.
Bracewell and Mark Gillespie then picked up a wicket apiece early in India’s response to have the home side 94 for two and still 345-runs behind at stumps.
Bracewell half century highlights
New Zealand A resumed the day at 300 for eight with Bracewell on 12 and Sodhi 14, but the pair frustrated the home side’s bowlers through to lunch and beyond. Bracewell was the more aggressive of the two, striking 11 fours and one six in his 132 ball stay.
The 22 year-old fell just one boundary away from his maiden First Class ton when he was bowled by Abhishek Nayar after 120.3 overs. Sodhi was dismissed the following over to end the innings.
In reply, India was in strife at 16 for two, but found a steady pair in Vasudevan Jagadeesh (40 not out) and Manprit Juneja (43 not out) who saw out the final session of the day.
Bracewell said the side were pleased with their own total and they now had an important day ahead of them.
“I think 400 was a great achievement for us, especially considering we were 43 for four at one point,” says Bracewell.
“It’s definitely disappointing falling just four short of my maiden First Class century, but at the same time it was a great achievement to put on over 150 with Ish (Sodhi) and get the team into a good position.
“I think day three will tell us how the match is going to pan out. It’s going to be a big ask for the bowlers tomorrow so hopefully we can stick to our plans and work towards picking up eight wickets.”
Play will resume at 9:30am local time (4pm NZ time).
Day one: Anderson and Devcich fight back
Centuries from Corey Anderson (100) and Anton Devcich (115) have seen New Zealand A finish 300 for eight on day one of their four day match against India A in Visakhapatnam.
Anderson and Devcich fought back from their side being 43 for four with a 165-run fifth wicket stand. Doug Bracewell (12 not out) and Ish Sodhi (14 not out) will resume at the crease tomorrow.
Wickets tumbled early on after New Zealand had won the toss and opted to bat first. Neil Broom was the first to go, caught behind off the first delivery he faced.
After 17.1 overs the top four had all been dismissed and things were looking precarious for New Zealand. Anderson came to the crease and played his shots confidently though, striking 16 fours and two sixes in an innings which lasted 126 balls. It marked his second First Class century.
He was ably supported by Devcich, who played a steady hand in leading his side out of a corner. The 27 year-old faced 185 balls and found the boundary rope 15 times in his stay at the crease, which eventually ended after 77.2 overs.
At the conclusion of 89 overs on day one New Zealand reached the 300 mark with two wickets in hand.
The success was shared amongst the Indian bowlers, with Jalaj Saxena and Dhawal Kulkarni taking two wickets apiece.
Day two will resume tomorrow at 9:30am local time (4pm NZ time).
