Parthiv Patel top-scored with 94 before India A declared at 467 for eight, but their bowlers struggled in the face of New Zealand's strong response in the unofficial first Test here on Saturday.

Opting to bat after winning the toss, India 'A' declared their first innings after some useful contributions from the lower-order batsmen. The visitors were 340 for five at stumps on the opening day at the Bay Oval. New Zealand made a strong response, reaching 176 for one at stumps on the second day. Opener Hamish Rutherford was going strong at 106.