CHENNAI : As many as four batsmen scored half-centuries as India A began their tour of New Zealand on a strong note at Mount Maunganui. After winning the toss and batting first, Prithvi Shaw, Mayank Agarwal, Hanuma Vihari and Parthiv Patel posted fifties. Opener Murali Vijay and captain Ajinkya Rahane failed to make use of their opportunities as India A ended Day 1 at 340/5.
Shaw’s 88-ball 62, which included six boundaries and one six, puts him in pole position to be India’s first-choice to partner KL Rahul in the first Test against Australia in Adelaide.Though Rahul is certain to be the first-choice opener, Murali Vijay’s inclusion for the tour and his previous performances Down Under could make it a shootout between Shaw and the Chennai opener.
Though benching Shaw after an impressive show against West Indies at home may be a farfetched call, Vijay’s return to form could have given the Indian think-tank something to mull about. But, the veteran’s stay lasted for only 64 balls after being bowled by Blair Tickner for 28. With one more innings to go here and another practice match left in Australia, the chances of Vijay playing ahead of Rahul and Shaw looks bleak.
The other disappointment was Rahane. The right-hander has been a pale shadow of his past self, and his struggles this year have been well-documented. With Rohit Sharma also in the side, Rahane would ideally like to make a strong case for himself in the practice match later in Australia, as he scored only 12 on Friday before losing his stumps to pacer Doug Bracewell.
Agarwal, who was dropped from the Test squad without even getting a match, walked in at No 3 and scored 65 before losing his wicket to Tickner.If Shaw and he made a strong impression at the top, Vihari showed why he was favoured ahead of Karun Nair by the team managment. The Hyderabad batsman showed plenty of patience and composure as he made 86 off 150 balls, concentrating more on rotating the strike and curbing his aggression.
Patel, who returned to the Test side recently, scored a stroke-filled 79 off 111 balls, which included 10 boundaries, and was unbeaten when stumps were called.Brief scores: India A 340/5 (H Vihari 86, P Patel 79 n.o M Agarwal 65, P Shaw 62) vs New Zealand A .