India A tour of New Zealand concluded with the third unofficial Test ending in a draw on Tuesday, November 10. Here are the key talking points from the tour.
Ahead of the two-Test series against New Zealand which begins on November 19, some players from the squad had opportunities to acclimatise to these conditions through India A’s unofficial Test series against New Zealand A. All three four-day games were drawn, but there were plenty of talking points for the upcoming Tests.
India's No.3 conundrum
India haven't managed to find a stable one-drop batter in the last few years, and have made regular changes to their batting unit. Currently, they have two options for the role: Devdutt Padikkal and Sai Sudharsan.
Padikkal played at three in the Sri Lanka series, where he hammered two centuries in two games. He ended up as the top run-getter in this A series, with 326 runs from five innings at an average of 65.20, including 199 in the first unofficial Test, pushing a strong case to retain his spot in the India side.
But Sai Sudharsan has also left his mark with 230 runs at an average of 46.20, including scores of 91 and 88. He was unfortunate to sustain an injury ahead of the Sri Lanka series. The team management has spoken in the past about giving him a fair run, which may get him the nod ahead of Padikkal.
Also read: From 199 to a golden duck: How have India’s Test players fared against New Zealand A so far?
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s return to form
The India opener had a torrid time ahead of this tour, going eight first-class innings without a fifty. He started the series poorly as well, with two low scores in the first unofficial Test but found form in the second, hitting an unbeaten 155 off 162 balls.
Jaiswal followed that knock with another century in the third game, scoring 101 off 138, laced with 16 fours and two sixes. His return to form will be a huge boost for India as they look to win a Test series in New Zealand for the third time.
Jasprit Bumrah’s lack of red-ball gametime
India's premier fast bowler played only one match in this series, and will head into the first Test without much gametime. Bumrah could get only six wicketless overs, giving away 11 runs as rain washed out the third and fourth day's play.
Three weeks shy of 33, Bumrah has not played a Test for India or any first-class cricket since November last year, when he featured in the home series against South Africa. He last played in the Asian Games in Japan, where India clinched the gold medal. He was also rested from the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand for workload management but could the lack of red-ball gametime become a concern for him?
Rishabh Pant’s injury casts concerns over batting unit
Pant was expected to play the third unofficial Test in Lincoln but missed out as he continues to recover from a side strain. There are growing concerns over his availability for the Wellington Test, and could force India to rethink their batting order.
If Pant doesn't recover in time, the visitors will have to either play an additional all-rounder between Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar, or bat one of Padikkal and Sai Sudharsan out of their position.
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