Shubman Gill scored an unbeaten double-century as India A put up a valiant fight in their second innings to earn a draw in the first unofficial Test against New Zealand A in Christchurch on Sunday.
Trailing the hosts’ mammoth first innings total of 562/7 by 219 runs at the start of the fourth and final day of the match at the Hagley Oval, India A finished the day with 448/3 as Gill (204 not out), Priyank Panchal (115) and skipper Hanuma Vihari (100 not out) starred with the bat.
Batting first in the match, India A got all-out for 216 as Gill top-scored with 83. In reply, New Zealand piled on the runs as wicketkeeper Dane Cleaver played a brilliant knock of 196 batting at No 7.
The visitors had it all to do in their second innings and it was a collective fight that helped them save the match. After openers Abhimanyu Easwaran (26) and Mayank Agarwal (0) fell early, Panchal, Gill and Vihari took it upon themselves to get the job done.
Gill played with freedom during his classy knock, which was studded with 22 fours and four sixes.
The second and final unofficial Test between the two teams will begin on February 7 at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln.
India A had lost the preceding three-match unofficial one-day series 1-2.