IND-A vs NZ-A, 1st Unofficial Test Day 1: Bengal pacer Mukesh picks three wickets, NZ-A scores 156/5
Bengal seamer Mukesh Kumar, making his debut for a representative national side, picked three for 34 as New Zealand A could only score 156/5 in 61 overs before bad light stopped play.
Published : Sep 01, 2022 18:39 IST
FILE PHOTO: Bengal pacer Mukesh Kumar finished with figures of 13-4-34-3 for IND-A against NZ-A on day one of the first unofficial Test in Bengaluru on Thursday.
Joe Carter and inclement weather frustrated India A bowlers on the opening day of the first unofficial Test at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
When the weather intervened and forced the players off the field a little after Tea, New Zealand A, which chose to bat, was on 156 for the loss of five wickets.
Carter was batting on 73 not out (170b, 10x4). There was no further action, as the day's 29 overs were lost.
Carter arrived in the middle at the fall of the first wicket in the fifth over. Opener Chad Bowes was dismissed by Mukesh Kumar, the Bengal seamer who would prove to be the pick of bowlers.
Rachin Ravindra, the other opener, then fell to left-arm seamer Arzan Nagwaswalla.
When Yash Dayal, the Gujarat Titans left-arm pacer, removed Mark Chapman, the visitors were reduced to 51 for three. But Carter and skipper Robert O’Donnell ensured there was no further hiccup till their team reached the 100-run mark.
Mukesh, however, trapped O’Donnell to end the fourth-wicket stand, which was worth 49. Wicket-keeper Cam Fletcher also gave solid support to Carter.
The fifth-wicket partnership had also added 49 when Fletcher too fell lbw to Mukesh, whose figures read an impressive three for 34 from 13 overs.