Devdutt Padikkal's fine form in the unofficial Test series against New Zealand A continued on day one of the second match at Christchurch's Hagley Oval, where the India A left-hander played a composed and responsible innings of 80. Having scored 199 in the first match, Padikkal once again caught the selectors' attention with a solid knock at number three.
Batting at number three, Padikkal faced 140 balls and struck 12 fours, reaching his fifty in 100 balls. He shared a vital 91-run partnership for the second wicket with B Sai Sudharsan, who made 41, rescuing India A from an early setback and steering them towards a stronger position.
Jaiswal's worrying run continues
While Padikkal impressed, regular senior-team opener Yashasvi Jaiswal's poor form remained a concern. Jaiswal was dismissed without scoring in the first over itself, out for a four-ball duck. With the New Zealand series ahead, it was his third successive failure, after scores of just 17 and 5 in the first match of the series.
India A's middle order also had a shaky start. Smaran Ravichandran, who walked in immediately after Padikkal's dismissal, was trapped leg before wicket off his very first ball for a golden duck. Yash Rathod of Vidarbha, who had scored a century in the first innings of the first Test and carried big expectations into this match, managed only 13, leaving the Indian innings wobbling in the middle.
Padikkal's innings stood out precisely because of the collapses around him. Where others struggled for timing and composure, the left-hander built his innings patiently, and his form across both matches of the series is now impossible for the selectors to ignore as India look ahead to the senior series.
