Dhruv Jurel led India’s fightback with a determined unbeaten 99 after the visitors suffered a dramatic collapse on the opening day of the second unofficial Test against New Zealand A in Christchurch.Coming into the match after scores of 1 and 2 in the first unofficial Test last week, Jurel responded with a crucial knock that helped India A recover from a precarious position and finish the day with a fighting total.India A were in trouble in the afternoon session after losing three wickets for just six runs in the space of six deliveries. At 160 for 6, with a substantial part of the day’s play still remaining, Jurel took charge and first stitched together a 62-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Manav Suthar.After Suthar departed for 22, Jurel continued to hold the innings together, adding an unbeaten 69 runs with Akash Deep. He reached the 90s in the 79th over but chose to remain unbeaten at 99, seeing out the final nine overs until stumps.The visitors had made a steady start despite challenging batting conditions. Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed for a duck just four deliveries into the day, trapped lbw by Fraser Sheat, whose late movement troubled the Indian batters throughout the innings.Sai Sudharsan, promoted to open in the absence of KL Rahul, and Devdutt Padikkal then steadied the innings. The pair negotiated the remainder of the opening session, with Sai Sudharsan surviving a couple of close calls against Sheat before settling into his innings.Padikkal, who had scored 199 in the opening game, initially struggled to get going but gradually found his rhythm through a series of fluent drives. He also adjusted his position at the crease to counter the movement, while punishing the shorter deliveries. A cut behind point brought up his half-century in the second session.Sai Sudharsan, meanwhile, looked set for a substantial contribution before edging at a delivery outside off from Jarrod McKay shortly after lunch. His dismissal opened the door for New Zealand A to take control.Sheat led the charge as India A lost three more wickets in quick succession. Padikkal chopped one back onto his stumps, R Smaran, playing his first match of the tour, was trapped lbw first ball after misjudging the movement, while Washington Sundar was beaten by a full delivery.With the innings in danger of falling apart, Jurel had to negotiate the movement and bounce offered by the Christchurch surface. As the seamers began to tire and strayed towards his pads, he found opportunities to score and gradually shifted the momentum.New Zealand A eventually turned to left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox, who was introduced to test Jurel in a batting line-up dominated by right-handers. However, the wicketkeeper-batter used his feet and the crease effectively, mixing sweeps with cuts and dabs to keep the scoreboard moving.Suthar provided valuable support before falling for 22 while attempting a drive off Lennox. Jurel then took responsibility for the lower order, ensuring India A avoided a repeat of their batting struggles in the first innings of the Lincoln match.His unbeaten 99 has given the visitors a measure of stability heading into the second day, with Akash Deep still alongside him at the crease.India A 291 for 7 (Jurel 99*, Padikkal 80, Sheat 4-50) vs New Zealand A