No play was possible on day three at Lincoln. Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja were among the players expected to return to action, but the rain left the third match of the series drifting towards a draw, with India A losing a chance to test their bowling resources before the senior team's two-Test series, which begins on 19 November.
A frustrating day for the senior players
The lack of action was particularly frustrating for India's team management, which had sent several established international players to New Zealand to regain match rhythm ahead of the Test series. Bumrah was among the key players expected to benefit from the fixture. Bumrah's appearance in Lincoln marked his return to competitive cricket after he last played in the Asian Games in early October. He then missed the white-ball assignments against West Indies and New Zealand as part of his rest period. He has not played any red-ball cricket in 2026.
Bumrah's return to competitive cricket
Bumrah prepared in Ahmedabad after the Asian Games and completed the required return-to-play process at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. His first outing against New Zealand A produced encouraging figures, with six overs on the second day for just 11 runs, including a maiden, although he could not register a wicket. Jadeja was another notable member of the India A squad waiting for a chance to build bowling workload. The allrounder did not get a chance to bowl on the second day and will hope for better conditions when play resumes on the fourth day. He arrived in New Zealand after representing Saurashtra in two Ranji Trophy matches.
Prasidh Krishna makes an impact
Prasidh Krishna made an immediate impact on his return to action. The pacer claimed both New Zealand A wickets to fall on the second day, finishing with two wickets from five overs. It was his first competitive appearance since he sustained a hamstring injury during the second ODI against West Indies on 30 September. India A had declared their first innings on 464 for 5. Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 102, Sai Sudharsan made 88, Dhruv Jurel scored 71, and Tilak Varma was unbeaten on 81 while Washington Sundar was unbeaten on 50. New Zealand A were 36 for 2 at the end of the washed-out third day, trailing by 428 runs.
What the washout means for the Test series
The interruption has left India A short of the bowling assessment the team management wanted before the senior series. With the match heading towards a draw, the remaining day offers limited time to make up for the lost overs. The senior Test series against New Zealand begins on 19 November. The India A matches were meant to give the squad match practice and rhythm before that series, and the rain in Lincoln has cut into that preparation.
