Rishabh Pant’s 29-minute innings, consisting of two cavalier shimmies, two well-timed fours, and a poor shot, summed up his score of 17 in India A’s total of 234 all out against South Africa A on the second
day of the four-day match on Friday.
India A bowled out South Africa A for 309, up from their overnight score of 299/9, in the first session. However, India faltered due to their own errors and the consistent off-spin of Prenelan Subrayen (5/61), resulting in a 75-run deficit.
India A Vs South Africa A: First Unoffical Test, Day 2 – Highlights
Teenager Ayush Mhatre (65 off 76 balls) was the sole India A batsman who showed resilience on the day.
In their second innings, the tourists were 30 without loss, extending their lead to 105 runs. Jordan Hermann (12) and Lesego Senokwane (9) were at the crease at stumps, reinforcing the Proteas’ dominance.
Pant’s return to competitive cricket after three months was a notable subplot of the day’s action.
Though Pant performed excellently behind the stumps, he struggled in his batting. He began with a wild swing against pacer Tshepo Moraki, missing the ball entirely, but soon hit a four over mid-on off Subrayen on the sixth ball he faced.
He later pulled Moraki behind the square for another four, hinting at settling in. However, indecision led to his dismissal as he lobbed a delivery to Zubayr Hamza at gully.
This reflected the overall lacklustre performance of the Indian batters, starting with Sai Sudharsan, who opened in place of the injured Narayan Jagadeesan.
Sudharsan’s 94-ball 38 was marked by struggles with timing and close escapes, including a run-out. Moreki ended his innings with an outgoing delivery that caught the edge of his bat, and wicketkeeper Rivaldo Moonsamy completed the catch.
Despite being edgy, Sudharsan aided Mhatre in adding 90 runs for the first wicket, the highest partnership in the hosts’ first innings.
Devdutt Padikkal played a tame shot off Subrayen to Okuhle Cele at short midwicket, and Rajat Patidar attempted an expansive drive without reaching the ball, resulting in his dismissal by the off-spinner.
Mhatre was the exception, showcasing confidence and class during his half-century. His straight drive off Cele and a cover drive off Subrayen highlighted his strong technical foundations.
Mhatre’s brilliance helped India reach 71 without loss by lunch, but the hard work was undone in the second session when they lost five wickets for 92 runs, placing them at 163 for five at tea.
Mhatre was also dismissed during this chaotic session, falling to Subrayen, who bowled 22 unchanged overs across three sessions for a commendable five-wicket haul.
Subrayen, who was part of South Africa’s senior team in the recent first Test against Pakistan before being dropped for the India tour, effectively utilized the slight turn and variable bounce, while the Indian batsmen’s inconsistency did the rest.
Ayush Badoni (38 off 47 balls) played a brisk innings to reduce India A’s deficit to under 100 runs before being dismissed while trying to score quickly.
(With inputs from PTI)
