Pant’s 90, late-order grit carry India A to 3-wicket win over South Africa A

Bengaluru: India A batters hit the self-destruction button for a second successive time but thankfully there wasn’t any extensive damage as some grit from their lower-order colleagues saw them edge a determined South Africa A by three wickets in the opening game of the four-day affair here on Sunday.

After starting the final day confidently and cruising along at one stage in pursuit of 275, India A found themselves in deep trouble at 215/7 when Rishabh Pant (90), Tanush Kotian (23) and Ayush Badoni (23) threw their wickets away to South Africa A’s short-ball strategy at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence.

Still needing 60 runs and South Africa A’s second-change pacers Tiaan van Vuuren (3/56) and Lutho Sipamla (1/37) dishing out a copious amount of sweet chin music, Manav Suthar (20 n.o.) and Anshul Kamboj (37 n.o.) showed the discipline the top and middle order batters lacked in forging an unbroken 58-run stand for the eighth wicket to carry the hosts home on a warm afternoon.

The way wicketkeeper Pant kicked off the proceedings in the morning, where India A resumed on 119/4, a finish before lunch seemed imminent. The India A skipper stepped down to pacer Okuhle Cele the second ball of the day and smashed him for a one-handed six over extra over. He then guided the pacer through the third man region for two boundaries as 14 runs came in the first over. It was exactly what India A wanted.

Pant continued to bat aggressively while his partner Badoni nicely alternated between defence and attack to help India A motor along smoothly. That’s when South Africa chose to shake things up. Realising the full and good lengths balls were easy meat for Pant, they started to bang the balls short. Pant, who loves stepping down to pacers, couldn’t execute those big shots. Feeling tied down, something had to give and it happened in the 49th over. Pant charged at a short ball from Vuuren and he ended up top-edging to Lesego Senokwane at slips.

Even after Pant’s departure, the Proteas stuck to the short-ball ploy. Skipper Marques Ackerman kept fielders in the deep on the leg-side, nicely dangling the carrot to Badoni and new man Tanush Kotian. And the duo bit the bait to open the door for South Africa A. First Badoni perished in the 53rd over, his hook landing nicely into the hands of Tshepo Moreki at deep square leg. Six overs later, Kotian tried the same and the result was almost the same, Vuuren snapping up a simple catch at deep fine leg off Sipamla.

Smelling blood, the Proteas went full tilt against Suthar and Kamboj with a mix of short and full-length ones. But both Suthar and Kamboj were game for the challenge, showing wonderful application to defy the South Africans. Kamboj smacked a couple of sixes to ease the pressure while Suthar primarily focussed on defence. Together they kept chipping away at the target steadily before helping India cross the line a little after lunch.

Scoreboard

SOUTH AFRICA A (I Innings): 309

INDIA A (I Innings): 234

SOUTH AFRICA A: 199

INDIA A (II Innings, O/n: 119/4): 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 c Senokwane b Vuuren 90 (113b, 11x4, 4x6), Ayush Badoni c Moreki b Vuuren 34 (47b, 4x4), Tanush Kotian c Vuuren b Sipamla 23 (30b, 2x4), Manav Suthar (not out) 20 (56b, 3x4), Anshul Kamboj (not out) 37 (46b, 4x4, 2x6). Extras (B-5, LB-6, W-9, NB-2) 22. TOTAL (for 7 wkts, 73.1 overs) 277.

Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Mhatre), 2-19 (Padikkal), 3-32 (Sudharsan), 4-119 (Patidar), 5-172 (Pant), 6-195 (Bodoni), 7-215 (Kotian).

Bowling: Tshepo Moreki 14-2-33-2, Okuhle Cele 12-1-64-1, Prenelan Subrayen 21.1-8-76-0, Lutho Sipamla 14-3-37-1, Tiaan van Vuuren 12-2-56-3.

Result: India A won by 3 wkts.

Series: India A lead 2-match series 1-0.

PoM: Tanush Kotian.

Second game: Nov 6-9 (BCCI’s CoE).