SportsPosted at: Nov 2 2026 5:41PM


Mukesh’s fifer, Siraj’s four wickets fail to stop NZ A fightback in 2nd unofficial Test

New Delhi, Nov 2 (UNI) Mohammed Siraj got a valuable workload under his belt ahead of India’s two-Test series against New Zealand, claiming four wickets in 35 overs for India A, but New Zealand A's lower order came up with a spirited fightback to take a 78-run first-innings lead on the penultimate day of the second unofficial Test in Christchurch.
New Zealand A, responding to India A's first-innings total of 346, were in trouble at 338/8 but managed to stretch their innings to 424, securing a lead of 78 runs. Their final two wickets added 86 runs, frustrating the Indian attack and turning the contest in the hosts' favour.
Siraj finished with 4/118 from 35 overs, while Mukesh Kumar was the leading wicket-taker with 5/87 in 29 overs. India A reached 32 without loss in their second innings by stumps, with Yashasvi Jaiswal unbeaten on 20 and Sai Sudharsan on 11 after seeing off 11 overs.
For India's senior team management, Siraj's extended spell at Hagley Oval will be particularly encouraging. The venue is set to host the second Test of the upcoming series, which begins on November 19, and the fast bowler has now had the opportunity to warm up in conditions similar to those he will encounter with the senior side.
Completing 35 overs should also please head coach Gautam Gambhir and bowling coach Morne Morkel, with Siraj expected to join the ODI squad after the India A game. The pacer looked sharp with the older ball and found movement with the new one, while Mukesh was effective with both new balls but became less threatening as the Kookaburra lost its shine.
Siraj made an immediate impact on the third morning, striking with his very first delivery of the day. Bowling the second over, he found the outside edge of overnight centurion Matthew Boyle, who had made 110 off 152 balls. Devdutt Padikkal completed a sharp diving catch to his left, ending a 208-run fourth-wicket partnership between Boyle and Dean Foxcroft.
Foxcroft, who had scored 93 from 226 deliveries, had spent close to six hours at the crease. His resistance finally ended after the second new ball was taken, with Siraj producing a sharp delivery that came back in and trapped him in front of the stumps. Foxcroft had also earned a call-up to New Zealand’s ODI squad on Monday for the final two matches against India.
New Zealand A slipped from 270/4 to 291/7 by tea as India's seamers found their rhythm. Mukesh provided another breakthrough with an outswinger that drew an edge from Mitch Hay, who had scored 31, with wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel completing the catch.
Siraj then produced a fine spell to remove Brett Randell for five. After testing the batter with a series of deliveries moving away, he followed up with an in-cutter that beat Randell and crashed into his off-stump. The India pacer had varied his length and movement cleverly to set up the dismissal.
However, the hosts' lower order refused to give in after the tea break. Kristian Clarke (41), Fraser Sheat (40), Jayden Lennox (32) and Jarrod McKay (33) all made useful contributions to push New Zealand A past India's total and establish a sizeable first-innings advantage.
The Indian attack struggled to contain the late resistance. Akash Deep went wicketless, conceding 59 runs in 23 overs, while Mukesh found it difficult to make an impact once the ball had lost its shine. The five-wicket haul was nevertheless another significant contribution from the Bengal seamer, who had previously claimed a five-for for India A in a SENA country against Australia A at Mackay in 2024.
The final wicket alone added 55 runs for New Zealand A before Washington Sundar brought the innings to a close, finishing with 1/81 from 29.5 overs. His off-spin failed to trouble the lower order consistently, once again highlighting how much his effectiveness can depend on the conditions and the assistance available from the surface.
Brief Scores: India A 1st innings 346 and 32 for no loss (Yashasvi Jaiswal 20 batting) vs NZ A 1st innings 424 (Matthew Boyle 110, Dean Foxcroft 93, Mukesh Kumar 5/87, Mohammed Siraj 4/118).
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Tags: #Mukesh’s fifer# Siraj’s four wickets fail to stop NZ A fightback in 2nd unofficial Test
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