India A vs South Africa A: Siraj, Rahul, Kuldeep, and Bavuma eye red-ball time ahead of Test series

Bengaluru: India A skipper Rishabh Pant will look to build on the gains from the first match, while the likes of Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav will aim for crucial red-ball game time in the second four-day match against a Temba Bavuma-led South Africa A here from Thursday.

Pant managed to log trouble-free 139.3 overs as wicketkeeper besides playing 133 balls as a batter, which included a typically colourful 90 in last week's first four-day game at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE) grounds.

With the fitness worries firmly behind him, the left-hander will now be eager to put himself through the rigours once more before the two-match Test series against South Africa, beginning from November 14.

Siraj, KL Rahul and Kuldeep were a part of India's ongoing white-ball tour to Australia before returning home, and they can now polish their red-ball skills against a competitive opposition in South Africa A.

The visitors will be eager to level the series after the hosts recorded a three-wicket win in the first match.

From a batters' perspective, the South Africa A pacers employed the short-pitched ball strategy to good effect on the final day of the first match to rattle the Indians, including Pant himself.

Whether the senior South African side follows a similar path is a matter of debate, but it certainly might have got the feedback on how some of the highborn Indian batters looked distinctly uncomfortable against the lifters.

With the COE pitch offering a fair bit of assistance for pacers in the form of consistent bounce, the South African 'A' bowlers might be tempted to press those snorters into service once again.

If so, the India batters playing here will get some good workout ahead of the showdown against the likes of Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen barely two weeks later.

India A too have pacers like Prasidh Krishna, who was substituted after getting hit on the head by Australia A fast bowler Henry Thornton at Lucknow recently, and Akash Deep, looking to force their back to the Test side.

The last Test appearance of Prasidh, who was in the India squad for the home series against the West Indies, and Akash was in the fifth Test against England at the Oval.

In this interim, Prasidh played one away ODI against Australia while Akash has been working out steadily for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy without being spectacular.

They will be eager to take that third seamer's slot in the national team with a good outing against Proteas A, behind Jasprit Bumrah and Siraj.

Kuldeep was released from the white ball side following a request by the team management, and the left-arm wrist spinner will get ample overs here to sharpen his bewitching set of skills ahead of the series against South Africa.

Meanwhile, Sai Sudharsan, who opened in the absence of an injured Narayan Jagadeesan in the first match here, was struggling for timing in both the innings -- 94-ball 32 and 38-ball 12.

He will not read too much into it but the left-hander will be looking to regain that characteristic silken-smooth shot-making here, possibly during the course of a big knock.

On the other hand, Bavuma, who missed the recent tour to Pakistan with a calf strain, will be desperate to regain the rhythm of the red-ball game here while spending quality time in the middle.

Teams (from):

India A: Rishabh Pant (C, WK), KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Sai Sudharsan (VC), Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Khaleel Ahmed, Gurnoor Brar, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav.

South Africa A: Marques Ackerman, Temba Bavuma (C), Okuhle Cele, Zubayr Hamza, Jordan Hermann, Rubin Hermann, Rivaldo Moonsamy, Tshepo Moreki, Mihlali Mpongwana, Lesego Senokwane, Prenelan Subrayen, Kyle Simmonds, Tsepo Ndwandwa, Jason Smith, Tiaan van Vuuren, Codi Yusuf.

Match starts at 9.30 am.