India A tighten grip with massive lead

New Zealand A were faced with a fight for survival after Ankit Bawne's unbeaten 162 helped India A extend their lead to 236 on the third day of the second unofficial Test in Vijayawada. When bad light forced early stumps for the third day running, Jeet Raval and Henry Nicholls had added 85 unbroken for the second wicket as New Zealand A whittled out 104 of those.

Raval, who was off to his fourth successive start on tour, was unbeaten on 41, while Nicholls, the captain, followed up three single-digit scores with an unbeaten half-century. The only wicket-taker in the second innings for India A was left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem.

Shortly after lunch, India A lost their last five wickets for 61 to be bowled out for 447. Resuming on 360 for 4, a bulk of the scoring was done by Bawne, who added 46 to finish 162 not out. The lower order - from No. 7 to No. 11 - could add just 28 between them. Parthiv Patel, who could add just nine to his overnight 56, was the third highest scorer of the innings, behind Bawne and Shreyas Iyer, who made 82 on Sunday.

Ish Sodhi, the legspinner, was rewarded with three wickets after wheeling away for 25 overs, while Colin Munro, the allrounder who contributed a half-century in the first innings, Seth Rance and Scott Kuggleign, the medium pacers, had two wickets apiece.