The third unofficial Test between India A and New Zealand A ended in a draw at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln on Tuesday after the final day was abandoned without a ball being bowled, bringing a rain-hit series to a close at 0-0.
The umpires called off play at 12:57 PM local time with rain still around and the outfield too damp, and not a single over was possible across the final two days. India A had declared on 464 for 5, with New Zealand A 36 for 2 in reply when the weather closed in, and that was how the match ended.
Yashasvi Jaiswal made 102 off 138 balls, Sai Sudharsan scored 88 off 255 balls, captain Dhruv Jurel made 71 off 95 balls, Tilak Varma was unbeaten on 81 and Washington Sundar finished 50 not out off 107 balls. Ravindra Jadeja, batting at No. 6, made 25 off 71 balls.
Jasprit Bumrah, playing his first red-ball match of 2026, conceded just 11 runs in six wicketless overs, while Prasidh Krishna, returning after injury, took both wickets to fall for 12 runs. New Zealand A were 36 for 2 in 14 overs when the rain arrived and never released its grip.
The draw means all three unofficial Tests ended without a result, but there were positives for India A after they had been bowled out for just 113 in the first innings of the opener on October 24. Jaiswal was the standout batter of the series, scoring two centuries in five innings — an unbeaten 155 in the second innings of the second Test at Hagley Oval, followed by his 102 in Lincoln.
Padikkal, set to bat at No. 3 in the Test series, made 199 in the second innings of the opener and 80 in the first innings of the second match, while Sudharsan made 91 and Jurel struck 105 in the second Test. Washington scored two half-centuries, Siraj took 4 for 118 and Akash Deep made 68 batting at No. 9.
Twelve players from India’s Test squad featured across the three matches; only captain Shubman Gill, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rishabh Pant did not, and Jurel will keep wicket in Wellington if Pant fails to recover in time.
The focus now shifts to the two-Test series, which begins at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on November 19 and matters to both sides in the race for next year’s World Test Championship final.
Brief scores: India A 464/5 declared (Yashasvi Jaiswal 102, Sai Sudharsan 88, Tilak Varma 81*, Dhruv Jurel 71, Washington Sundar 50*; Ravindra Jadeja 25) drew with New Zealand A 36/2 in 14 overs (Prasidh Krishna 2/12).
Related:
- Rain Washes Out Day 3 in Lincoln as India A Stay 428 Ahead and Bumrah Is Denied More Overs — https://t20star.com/rain-washes-out-day-3-in-lincoln-as-india-a-stay-428-ahead-and-bumrah-is-denied-more-overs/
- Jurel, Tilak and Washington Fifties Power India A to 464 as New Zealand A Trail by 428 in Lincoln — https://t20star.com/jurel-tilak-and-washington-fifties-power-india-a-to-464-as-new-zealand-a-trail-by-428-in-lincoln/
