Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja will turn out for India A in the third unofficial Test against New Zealand A at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln, starting on Saturday, November 7, as India’s Test specialists get their final red-ball hit-out before the two-Test series later this month.
The four-day game, which begins at 11 AM local time (3:30 AM IST), has taken on added significance because of the uncertainty around Rishabh Pant. The wicketkeeper-batter has been ruled out of the Lincoln fixture as he continues to recover from a side strain, and his availability for the first Test against New Zealand — starting at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on November 19 — is now in serious doubt.
Pant picked up the injury while captaining the Rest of India in the Irani Cup and has been in rehabilitation at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. He has already missed the first two unofficial Tests on this tour, and Tilak Varma has been drafted into the India A squad in Lincoln as his replacement. Should Pant fail to recover in time for Wellington, Dhruv Jurel — who continues to captain India A — is primed to take the gloves for the senior side.
Bumrah and Jadeja, by contrast, arrive in Lincoln ready to play. Bumrah has trained with the squad for two days since his arrival in New Zealand, while Jadeja comes into the match on the back of two Ranji Trophy outings for Saurashtra, in which he claimed a combined seven wickets and scored a century. Their presence gives the final A game the feel of a full Test rehearsal, with the senior side’s pace spearhead and most experienced spinner both getting match time in New Zealand conditions.
The India A squad also includes Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Akash Deep, with Reddy having joined the A setup after being part of India’s ODI squad until Wednesday. Prasidh Krishna is also likely to feature as he looks to regain match fitness after spending the past three weeks undergoing rehabilitation for a hamstring strain. Jammu and Kashmir seamer Auqib Nabi, who would otherwise have played in Lincoln, has instead received a maiden call-up to the senior ODI squad as Reddy’s replacement.
Captain Shubman Gill will not feature in the red-ball game, with the fixture clashing with the second and third ODIs against New Zealand. Mohammed Siraj, meanwhile, has rejoined the ODI squad in Wellington after playing the second unofficial Test at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, which ended in a draw — Siraj took 4 for 118 across 35 overs in the only innings he bowled.
New Zealand A, captained by Rhys Mariu, will look to test a near full-strength Indian attack on a Lincoln surface that has traditionally offered something for both batters and bowlers. The hosts’ group includes Mitchell Hay behind the stumps, Tim Robinson, Dean Foxcroft, Kristian Clarke and Fraser Sheat.
The stakes go beyond the result. This is India’s first Test series in New Zealand since early 2020, when the previous touring side was beaten 2-0 just before the Covid-19 pandemic. Only four players from that squad — Gill, Bumrah, Pant and Jadeja — have been named for the current series. How Bumrah and Jadeja come through Lincoln, and whether Pant’s side strain heals in time, will shape India’s plans for Wellington more than anything that happens in the ODI series.
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