Jaiswal 155*, Rathod 100* highlight India A's day in draw

File photo: Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a century off 119 balls © Getty Images

India A 346 (Jurel 105, Padikkal 80, Akash Deep 68, Sheat 4-63) and 282 for 2 (Jaiswal 155, Rathod 100) drew with New Zealand A 424 (Boyle 110, Foxcroft 93, Mukesh 5-87, Siraj 4-118)

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Yash Rathod scored unbeaten centuries on the fourth day as the second four-day fixture between New Zealand A and India A ended in a draw. Ten balls after tea when Rathod completed his 12th first-class century, the teams decided to shake hands with India A 204 runs ahead.

India A were under the cosh once play resumed after over 90 minutes were lost to rain in the morning. With strong winds blowing under overcast skies, B Sai Sudharsan faced a stern test. Jarrod McKay shaped the ball into his pad with a leg gully, midwicket and square leg in place. Teams have often used this ploy against Sai Sudharsan in his brief Test career, and McKay found early success. Sai Sudharsan tucked the sixth ball of the day straight to Tim Robinson at leg gully to walk back for 11 off 34.

In the next over, Devdutt Padikkal got a corker first ball and was bowled for a golden duck. Brett Randell pitched one up on off and got the ball to straighten just a little past Padikkal's outside edge to knock his off pole over. India A had lost two wickets in the space of three balls while still trailing by 43.

Jaiswal, though, was quick to transfer the pressure back onto the opposition. He walked down the track on the first ball he faced to punch-drive McKay past mid-on. He also moved around in the crease to throw a disciplined Randell off his radar. In his company, Rathod also found his feet and flourished.

The early characteristic of their unbroken 247-run partnership was the running between the wickets. Both Jaiswal and Rathod often pinched singles while tapping the ball in front of cover or square leg. That kept the New Zealand A fielders on their toes. It also resulted in a couple of mix-ups, one of which should have had Rathod run-out on 37. Once McKay and Randell finished their first spells, India A found the scoring easier.

File photo: Yash Rathod has scores of 100, 13, 66 and 44 on the A tour © CAP

Jaiswal, who had scores of 17, 5 and 0 on the tour so far, looked at his belligerent best. He pulled anything short from Randell or McKay over the arc between midwicket and backward square leg, and thrashed any bit of width outside off past gully.

New Zealand A were left without quick Fraser Sheat, who took a four-for in the first innings, due to a side strain, and left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox because of a hamstring injury. Offspinner Dean Foxcroft was not allowed to settle by Jaiswal, who plundered him for 47 off 33 balls with four sixes, including the one over midwicket that got him to hundred off 119 balls.

Rathod, meanwhile, looked compact and fed Jaiswal the strike during their partnership. But he also didn't let go of any scoring shots. Like when McKay bowled one across him with primarily a leg-side trap set. It was a pretty chanceless knock from the Vidarbha batter, who already scored a half-century in the previous match on this tour.

The Jaiswal-Rathod partnership came at over a run-a-ball, and the match result was writ large before the players shook hands.

S Sudarshanan is a sub-editor at Cricinfo. @Sudarshanan7