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South Africa A chase down 417 to win second India A ‘Test’
The five-wicket win will be a big boost for the Proteas ahead of the first Test starting in Kolkata on Friday
New Delhi: This seems to be the year of South African swagger on the cricket field. Chasing down a challenging target against Australia at Lord’s to win the World Test Championship final in June, the first major ICC title for the Proteas, also appears to have freed the larger group in red-ball cricket.
On Sunday, South Africa A pulled off a sensational win over India A in their second unofficial Test, making light of what skipper Rishabh Pant would have seen as an improbable target when he set them 417 to get overnight in the last innings on the fourth and final day at the Centre of Excellence ground in Bengaluru.
India A won the first of two four-day games, Pant leading with the bat after hiccups. If the home team felt it could coast to victory for 2-0, the South Africans made a big statement ahead of the first Test against the Proteas starting at the Eden Gardens on Friday.
It was a determined run-chase, and although the firm pitch aided batting fluency, it would have left the Indian camp with much to ponder as South Africa A completed a five-wicket win against a bowling attack that included Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav – all in the Test squad.
Beyond the loss, India will hope the knocks received by Pant, and blows to the hand of Dhruv Jurel and Siraj on Sunday are not serious. Pant, who retired hurt while batting on Saturday before resuming and then kept wicket as SA A went to 25/0 at stumps, spent time with the physio on the last day as well.
Openers Jordan Hermann (91 – 123b, 13x4, 1x6) and Lesego Senokwane (77 – 174b, 11x4) set it up with a steady 156-run partnership. Hermann, 23, played strokes all around and was unlucky to miss out on a hundred. He fell soon after lunch, giving a return catch to Prasidh.
There were no quick inroads in the South African innings. Zubayr Hamza (77 off 88 balls, 9x4, 3x6) played a robust knock. Part of the 15-member Test squad, the 30-year-old took up the chase in a 107-run third wicket stand with Temba Bavuma, the Proteas skipper.
Bavuma’s last first-class knock was that brave effort (66) at Lord’s braving injury that sealed the sensational WTC final win. He skipped the recent two-Test tour of Pakistan as he recovered from a calf injury.
Sunday’s knock (59-101b, 7x4) would have assured the team of Bavuma’s fitness and form, and boosted the confidence for those who will join up for the first Test. The players were all smiles on the South African balcony as the chase ended.
The SA skipper’s dismissal, caught off Akash Deep after a useful batting stint following a first-ball duck, reduced the innings to 352/5 with the target still 65 runs away. But No.6 Connor Esterhuizen, a 24-year-old wicketkeeper, hit a brilliant 52 off 54 balls in an unbroken sixth wicket stand with Tiaan van Vuuren (20*).
Esterbuizen’s late charge perhaps made the difference between a draw and victory as the match went past the 5pm close to complete 90 overs in the day. SA A got the job done in 87 overs, seeing off the second new ball comfortably.
From India’s bowling perspective, the match would not have done wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav’s confidence any good. Sent midway through the white-ball tour of Australia, he sent down 28 overs, taking 1/147. The SA batters lost only three of the 14 wickets taken by bowlers to spin.
Brief scores: India A 255 & 382/7 decl; South Africa A 221 & 417/5 (J Hermann 91, L Senokwane 77, Z Hamza 77, T Bavuma 59, C Esterhuizen 52*). SA A won by 5 wickets.
