Mukesh Kumar bagged a fifer, and Mohammed Siraj returned four wickets, but handy lower order contributions by New Zealand A batters allowed the hosts to post 424 and take a 78-run first-innings lead. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan helped India A whittled that deficit by 32 runs before Stumps and took the game to the fourth day with the visitors still trailing by 46 runs.

Resuming the third day’s play on 218 for 3, Matthew Boyle - the overnight centurion - departed early. However, Dean Foxcroft and Mitchell Hay ensured they didn’t gift away the momentum to the Indian bowlers. They held fort for more than an hour before Foxcroft was trapped leg before wicket by Siraj, on 93, becoming the pacer’s second victim on the day.

Hay was caught behind in the next over, and Brett Randell followed soon after. A quick burst of wickets helped India regain the control and the momentum of the contest. But New Zealand A’s lower order batters offered strong resistance.

Reduced to 291 for 7 at one stage, the last three wickets added an additional 133 runs to the team’s total before the hosts were bowled out. While Fraser Sheat blazed away to a brisk 40, cracking five boundaries and a six, No 10. Jayden Lennox and No 11. Jarrod McKay combined to keep the Indian bowlers at bay for almost 25 overs.

The innings could have ended much earlier, within the second over of the partnership, when Siraj dropped a sitter to offer Lennox a life on 12. The Indian spinners, who had toiled away without any reward for 45 overs across the last two days, eventually found their first success, when Sundar cleaned up McKay to end New Zealand’s resistance, in his 30th over of the innings.

Jaiswal and Sudharsan saw through the remaining period of the day without any trouble.

Brief Scores: India A 346 (Dhruv Jurel 106, Devdutt Padikkal 80, Akash Deep 68; Fraser Sheat 4-63) & 32/0 trail New Zealand A 424 (Matthew Boyle 110, Dean Foxcroft 93; Mukesh Kumar 5-87, Mohammed Siraj 4-118) by 46 runs.