Lincoln, Nov 10 (IANS) Persistent rain brought an early end to the third unofficial Test between India A and New Zealand A at Bert Sutcliffe Oval on Tuesday, leaving the four-day contest drawn and denying India’s returning fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna valuable match practice ahead of the senior team’s upcoming Test series.

After the entire third day was lost, conditions offered little respite on the final morning. Although the covers were briefly removed, another spell of rain forced the abandonment of play at 1 pm local time, without a single delivery being bowled. The three-match unofficial Test series consequently finished without a winner, with all three games ending in draws.

India had put themselves in a commanding position before the weather intervened. Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 102 laid the foundation for a first-innings total of 464/5 declared, with Sai Sudharsan contributing 88 and Tilak Varma remaining unbeaten on 81. Dhruv Jurel (71) and Washington Sundar (50 not out) also made half-centuries as the visitors dominated the batting effort.

New Zealand A were 36/2 when play ended on the second evening, with Prasidh Krishna accounting for both dismissals. However, the pacer and Bumrah managed only 11 overs between them, while Ravindra Jadeja did not get an opportunity to bowl. Bumrah, who last featured in a Test in November last year, was among the key players India wanted to give competitive red-ball exposure before the two-Test series beginning November 19.

The match nevertheless provided useful batting time for several players in India’s Test plans. Jaiswal finished the three-match series with 279 runs in five innings at an average of 69.75, while Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal emerged among the leading run-scorers. Padikkal had struck 199 in the opening game, while Sudharsan registered scores of 91 and 88.

Jurel’s successive contributions, including a century earlier in the series, strengthened his case for a place in the Test side, particularly with Rishabh Pant’s availability still uncertain. Meanwhile, New Zealand A’s Dean Foxcroft topped their batting charts with 196 runs, while uncapped pacer Zak Gibson led the series wicket-takers with eight scalps.

Brief scores: India A 464/5 declared (Yashasvi Jaiswal 102, Sai Sudharsan 88, Tilak Varma 81 not out, Dhruv Jurel 71, Washington Sundar 50 not out; Zak Gibson 2/73) drew with New Zealand A 36/2 (Prasidh Krishna 2/12).

--IANS

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