Unofficial Test: Shubman Gill, Hanuma Vihari shine for India A

The rest of the Indian batting crumbles in Christchurch; by stumps on Day One, New Zealand A was only 111 runs behind, with eight wickets in hand.

Shubman Gill celebrates his half-century at Hagley Oval on Thursday. - GETTY IMAGES

Shubman Gill and captain Hanuma Vihari scored half-centuries to help India A post 216 in its first innings against New Zealand A in the first unofficial Test at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on Thursday. By stumps on Day One, the home side was behind by only 111 runs, with eight wickets in hand.

It was an otherwise insipid batting performance from the Indians, with none of the other batsmen scoring more than 18 runs. There were six single-digit scores, including four ducks. Seamer Michael Rae and off-spinner Cole McConchie were the major wicket takers; the two took seven wickets together.

India was wrecked early after having been inserted in. Seamers Jacob Duffy and Sean Solia reducing it to 34 for 3. Gill (83, 83b, 9x4, 2x6) and Vihari (51, 79b, 8x4) led the recovery, stitching a partnership of 119 runs for the fourth wicket.

McConchie broke the partnership in the 41st over of the innings, and the Indian innings folded with the addition of another 63 runs. McConchie went on to claim three wickets.

The Kiwi top order was, in comparison to its Indian counterpart, more stable. Captain Hamish Rutherford was dismissed in the 10th over by Bengal seamer Ishan Porel, before Rachin Ravindra and Will Young combined to bat together for nearly the rest of the evening session.

Ravindra fell three runs short of what would have been his sixth First-Class half-century; he was dismissed by Mohammed Siraj in the penultimate over before stumps.