Mohammed Siraj joins India A for second Test against New Zealand
- Mohammed Siraj joins India A to build rhythm for the senior Test series.
- KL Rahul departs for the ODI squad and is replaced by Shikhar Mohan.
- The second unofficial Test between India A and New Zealand A begins October 31.
- Devdutt Padikkal scored 199 in the first unofficial Test which ended in a draw.
- Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant are set to join the squad for the third Test.
Mohammed Siraj has joined the India A squad for the second unofficial four-day Test against New Zealand A, which begins on Saturday, October 31, 2026. Siraj joins the team to build match rhythm and workload ahead of the upcoming World Test Championship series.
India is considering rotating its squad for this match, with Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Shivam Dube, and Mayank Yadav listed as potential inclusions. It remains uncertain if Ishan Kishan will participate as he continues to recover from a groin strain that kept him out of the second and third T20Is.
On the New Zealand side, Lockie Ferguson has been ruled out for the remainder of the T20I series due to injury. Matt Henry and Zak Foulkes are now joined by him on the injury list. Matt Fisher has been added to the New Zealand squad as a replacement for the injured Ferguson.
Shikhar Mohan replaces KL Rahul in India A squad
KL Rahul has departed the India A squad to join the ODI team after scoring 0 and 4 runs in the first unofficial Test. Shikhar Mohan, a 21-year-old left-handed batsman from Jharkhand, has replaced Rahul in the squad. Mohan joins the team following a 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season where he scored 613 runs.
Devdutt Padikkal and bowlers lead India A in first Test draw
Devdutt Padikkal scored 199 in the second innings of the first unofficial Test to help India A post 516 runs after being bowled out for 113 in their first innings. Sai Sudharsan recorded 91 in the second innings following a first-innings duck, while captain Dhruv Jurel scored 1 and 2 runs.
Yash Rathod contributed 44 and 66 runs in the match, while Yashasvi Jaiswal recorded scores of 17 and 5.
Auqib Nabi took six wickets in the match, while Anshul Kamboj and Akash Deep each claimed three wickets in the first innings. The first unofficial Test ended in a draw due to bad light and a determined batting effort from New Zealand A.
India's batting lineup continues to perform strongly as the team seeks solutions to the upcoming challenges.
Across 38 T20I innings in 2026, India has held a run rate of 10.45, which is the highest among all Full Members, compared to New Zealand's run rate of 9.37 across 23 innings. Bevon Jacobs of Auckland may make his international debut at his home ground, Eden Park, during Friday's match.
Eden Park's straight boundaries are smaller than the ICC's 59.43-meter requirement, but the venue is exempt from this rule as it existed prior to the requirement being implemented.
New Zealand A performers from the first unofficial Test
New Zealand A captain Rhys Mariu led the scoring efforts with 76 runs in the first innings of the opening match. Teammate Curtis Heaphy contributed scores of 44 and 90, while Dean Foxcroft added 51 and 42 runs respectively.
Simon Keene emerged as the most successful bowler for the home side during the first match.
Bumrah, Pant, and Reddy to join for third Test
Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, and Nitish Kumar Reddy are scheduled to join the India A squad for the third unofficial Test match. This fixture will take place in Lincoln.
Senior Test series scheduled for November 19
India's senior Test series against New Zealand is scheduled to commence on November 19, 2026.
The upcoming T20I match at Eden Park is anticipated to surpass the New Zealand Cricket bilateral series attendance record of 36,523. This record was previously established during a 2019 double-header against India.
India's 2026 tour of New Zealand context
From October to December 2026, the Indian cricket team is on tour in New Zealand. This tour comprises two Test matches, five One Day Internationals, and five Twenty20 International matches.
New Zealand Cricket confirmed these tour fixtures in June 2026 as part of the home international season. The tour is the largest bilateral series held between the two nations. The 2025–2027 World Test Championship cycle includes this Test series.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Mohammed Siraj Returns As India A Seek Victory Against New Zealand A (sports.ndtv.com)
- New Zealand seek answers as India's batting juggernaut rolls on (cricinfo.com)
- Indian cricket team in New Zealand in 2026–27 (Wikipedia — background) (en.wikipedia.org)
Add NewsPulse Time as a preferred source on Google