Padikkal’s 199 and Heaphy’s Defiant 90 Force Hard-Fought Draw in Lincoln
The first unofficial Test between India A and New Zealand A at Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln will be remembered as a contest of remarkable resilience, late drama, and one haunting near-miss that denied a young batsman the double century his effort deserved. Over four days of fluctuating fortunes, the match ended in a hard-fought draw, with New Zealand A nine wickets down and still 126 runs short of their target when bad light forced the umpires to call time. Curtis Heaphy stood unbeaten on 90, the last barrier between India A and what would have been a famous victory after they had been dismissed for just 113 in their first innings.
It began under clear Canterbury skies on the morning of 24 October. New Zealand A captain Rhys Mariu won the toss and chose to field, a decision that looked inspired within the first hour. Fraser Sheat removed KL Rahul for a duck, the Indian opener falling to a catch behind in the third over. Simon Keene then took control of proceedings with a spell of sustained accuracy and movement that dismantled the middle order. Sai Sudharsan was bowled for a duck, Dhruv Jurel managed only one, and when Devdutt Padikkal edged Zak Gibson to the keeper for 32, India A had slumped to 56 for five. Yash Rathod offered the only meaningful resistance with an unbeaten 44 that included three sixes, but Keene finished with five for 24 as India A were all out for 113 in just 39.3 overs. The pitch offered something for the seamers early, yet the Indian batting had been too loose against the moving ball.
New Zealand A began their reply cautiously. Mariu and Heaphy put on 132 for the first wicket, the captain compiling a measured 76 before Mukesh Choudhary trapped him leg-before. Auqib Nabi then produced a double-wicket over that reduced the hosts to 133 for three, removing Jayden Lennox and Tim Robinson in successive deliveries. Anshul Kamboj claimed Heaphy for 44 and Matthew Boyle soon after, leaving New Zealand A at 162 for five. Dean Foxcroft steadied the innings with a composed 51, and Kristian Clarke added a useful 42 lower down. Nabi finished with three wickets, Kamboj claimed three of his own, and Akash Deep mopped up the tail as New Zealand A were dismissed for 317 late on the second afternoon. Their lead of 204 looked substantial, especially given how poorly India A had batted first time around.
What followed was one of the more impressive fightbacks seen in recent A-team cricket. India A lost both openers cheaply again in their second innings, Jaiswal caught behind for five and Rahul departing in bizarre fashion, hit-wicket for four. At 10 for two, the deficit still over 190, the innings hung by a thread. Then Padikkal and Sai Sudharsan took charge. Their partnership of 215 transformed the match. Padikkal was fluent from the outset, driving with authority through the covers and pulling anything short with crisp timing. Sudharsan played the perfect supporting role, accumulating carefully while the left-hander attacked. By the close of the second day they had taken India A to 106 for two, still behind but with hope restored.
On the third morning the pair continued where they left off. Padikkal reached his century from 128 balls and kept going. Sudharsan made 91 before falling to a short ball from Clarke, caught at square leg. The stand had been worth 215 and had erased the first-innings deficit while building a platform. Dhruv Jurel fell cheaply, but Yash Rathod joined Padikkal and the two added another 142 runs. Padikkal moved past 150 and looked certain to complete a double hundred. Instead, with the score on 369, he edged Gibson down the leg side and was given out caught behind for 199. There was no DRS available, and the decision looked tight. Padikkal walked off with a mixture of frustration and pride, having faced 248 balls, struck 24 fours and three sixes, and carried his side from the brink of collapse to a position of strength.
Rathod completed a lively 66, Washington Sundar contributed a composed 52, and the lower order added useful runs. Auqib Nabi smashed 38 and Akash Deep remained not out on 25 as India A were finally dismissed for 516 in 123.1 overs. Their lead stood at 312. New Zealand A needed 313 to win, a tall order on a pitch that had flattened but still offered the occasional variable bounce.
The final day produced the kind of tension that makes four-day cricket special. Nabi struck early again, removing Mariu, Robinson and Boyle in a devastating new-ball spell that left New Zealand A reeling at 13 for three. Foxcroft and Heaphy repaired some of the damage, but Mukesh Choudhary had Foxcroft caught on the pull for a well-made contribution. Mitchell Hay followed, and when Washington Sundar removed Clarke, the hosts were 131 for six. Padikkal, operating with gentle off-spin, then claimed two wickets of his own, including his maiden first-class scalp when he had Fraser Sheat caught at slip. At 160 for eight the end seemed near.
Heaphy, however, refused to yield. The young batsman had already shown his temperament in the first innings and now produced the defining knock of the match. He reached fifty and kept the scoreboard moving without taking undue risks. When Akash Deep bowled Keene, New Zealand A were nine down with more than 20 overs still possible. Jayden Lennox joined Heaphy and the pair dug in. India A rotated their spinners as the light deteriorated. Padikkal and Sundar bowled in tandem, probing for the final breakthrough. Lennox survived a few anxious moments and even managed a boundary through the covers. Heaphy continued to accumulate, moving into the nineties.
With the light fading fast and the umpires checking their meters repeatedly, the final session became a battle of wills. India A needed one more wicket. New Zealand A needed to survive. The last pair saw out the remaining overs under increasing gloom until the umpires finally decided conditions were no longer safe. Heaphy remained unbeaten on 90 from 187 balls, Lennox on six, and the match was drawn with New Zealand A on 187 for nine.
The result left both sides with reasons for satisfaction and regret. India A will reflect on a remarkable recovery from 113 all out and on Padikkal’s near-masterpiece. His 199 was the outstanding individual performance of the match and will strengthen his claims for higher honours. Auqib Nabi’s six wickets across the two innings underlined his growing threat with the new ball. The bowling unit as a whole showed character after the first-innings batting failure.
For New Zealand A, the fight shown by Heaphy and the lower order on the final day will be a source of pride. Mariu’s first-innings 76 and Foxcroft’s fifty provided the backbone of their total of 317. Simon Keene’s five-wicket haul on the opening day set the tone for the contest. The hosts will also take confidence from the fact that they survived when many expected them to fold.
Bert Sutcliffe Oval has long been a venue that rewards patience and character. This match lived up to that reputation. From the early collapse of India A to the monumental second-innings effort led by Padikkal, from Nabi’s incisive spells to Heaphy’s defiant resistance under fading light, the four days offered a complete examination of red-ball skills. The second unofficial Test begins in Christchurch on 31 October. Both sides will arrive there wiser and battle-hardened after a contest that ended without a winner but left a lasting impression.
The near-miss for Padikkal will linger longest in the memory. One more run would have completed a double century of the highest class. Instead he walked off one short, the kind of heartbreak that every batsman dreads. Yet the innings itself, constructed when his team was in deep trouble and sustained across more than six hours, was a statement of class and temperament. In the end the match belonged to neither side completely. It belonged to the struggle itself, to the refusal of both teams to yield, and to the knowledge that in four-day cricket the final chapter is sometimes written by the weather and the light as much as by the players. A draw was the only fair outcome.
