Pant holds firm as India A chase hangs in the balance against South Africa A

Bengaluru: After three days of fluctuating fortunes, the engrossing opening battle between India A and South Africa A continued to lie in the balance as bowlers from both sides called the shots with spirited displays here on Saturday.

First, it was India A’s Tanush Kotian (4/26) and Anshul Kamboj (3/39) who stole the show, their street-smart performances coupled with reckless batting from South Africa A resulting in the visitors being bowled out for 199 in 48.1 overs at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence.

The stunning collapse from South Africa A following a promising start on a fairly good batting pitch set India A a target of 275, but Proteas opening pacers Tshepo Moraki (2/12) and Okuhle Cele (1/40) bent their backs in admirable fashion on a scorching day to have the hosts in all sorts of trouble at 32/3.

Skipper Rishabh Pant (64 batting, 81b, 8x4, 2x6), blending aggression with caution in his usual inimitable style, and Rajat Patidar (28) then forged an 87-run stand for the fourth wicket to steady the ship, but the latter’s dismissal late in the day saw India A take stumps at 119/4. With India A still needing 156 runs for victory, the stage is set up for a cracking final day.

When captain Pant joined forces with Patidar in the final session, things were really tense out in the middle. Moraki and Cele were going through a sizzling spell, hitting the right lengths and lines that caused a lot of discomfort for the India batters. The Protean duo kept it largely full and in and around the off-stump, constantly asking those difficult questions. They threw in the odd well-directed bouncers too, and Indians found the challenge a bit too difficult.

Teenage sensation Ayush Mhatre, who blazed away to a 76-ball 65 in the first innings, perished to a 9-ball 6, his expansive drive off Moraki resulting in the ball inside-edging onto the stumps. One-drop Devdutt Padikkal too committed the same error off Cele and the result was the exact same.

And it got worse for India A when Sai Sudharsan, who never looked comfortable in his 94-ball 32-run stay in the first essay, departed for 12 after a lack of footwork saw him being trapped LBW. India could have been four down had Jordan Hermann not grassed a sitter from Patidar off Cele.

South Africa, with momentum completely on their side, were all pumped up. They knew another wicket would open the doors for an unlikely win. Skipper Marques Ackermann gave Moraki and Cele an extended spell, and the duo kept going at the Indians. There were plays and misses, balls missing the stumps by a whisker, and lots of appeals too.

Pant and the experienced Patidar fought through the phase. Pant, aware of how important his wicket was going to be, didn’t attempt anything high-risk. He played the big shots to balls that were in his hitting zone and left alone the rest to chug along smoothly.

Patidar, who captained Central Zone to the Duleep Trophy triumph in September with a century in the final, didn’t look in his elements, but he found a way to soldier on. Pant and he appeared to be taking India to safe shores but a callous shot right at the fag end of the day has left the captain with heavy lifting to do on the last day.

Scoreboard

South Africa A (I Innings): 309

India A (I Innings): 234

South Africa A (II Innings, O/n: 30/0): Jordan Hermann c Suthar b Brar 12 (45b, 1x4), Lesego Senokwane c Pant b Kotian 37 (83b, 7x4), Zubayr Hamza 37 (30b, 8x4), Marques Ackerman b Kotian 5 (13b), Rubin Hermann c Pant b Kamboj 15 (18b, 3x4), Rivaldo Moonsamy b Kamboj 6 (21b), Tiaan van Vuuren c Pant b Kamboj 3 (8b), Prenelan Subrayen 15 (31b, 1x4, 1x6), Tshepo Moreki c Sudharsan b Kotian 25 (24b, 3x4), Lutho Sipamla (not out) 17 (16b, 3x4), Okuhle Cele c Badoni b Brar 1 (6b). Extras (B-11, LB-8, W-1, NB-6) 26. TOTAL (all out, 48.1 overs) 199.

Fall of wickets: 1-30 (Jordan), 2-84 (Hamza), 3-103 (Ackermann), 4-104 (Senokwane), 5-122 (Rubin), 6-128 (Vuuren), 7-135 (Moonsamy), 8-177 (Moreki), 9-182 (Subrayen).

Bowling: Khaleel Ahmed 9-1-26-0, Anshul Kamboj 12-0-39-3, Manav Suthar 10-0-49-1, Gurnoor Brar 9.1-4-40-2, Tanush Kotian 8-3-26-4.

India A (II Innings): B Sai Sudharsan lbw Moreki 12 (38b, 2x4), Ayush Mhatre b Moreki 6 (9b, 1x4), Devdutt Padikkal 5 (15b, 1x4), Rajat Patidar c Moonsamy b Vuuren 28 (87b, 5x4), Rishabh Pant (batting) 64 (81b, 8x4, 2x6), Ayush Badoni (batting) 0 (6b). Extras (NB-2, W-2) 4. TOTAL (for 4 wkts, 39 overs) 119.

Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Mhatre), 2-19 (Padikkal), 3-32 (Sudharsan), 4-119 (Patidar).

Bowling: Tshepo Moreki 8-2-12-2, Okuhle Cele 8-1-40-1, Prenelan Subrayen 11-5-39-0, Lutho Sipamla 6-3-8-0, Tiaan van Vuuren 6-1-20-1.