Rishabh Pant’s brilliant 90 and a resilient late-order stand from Anshul Kamboj and Manav Suthar powered India A to a thrilling three-wicket win over South Africa A in Bengaluru, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead in the unofficial Test series. (Image Credit: Cricbuzz)
India A held their nerve to pull off a thrilling three-wicket win over South Africa A in the opening four-day match at Bengaluru on Sunday, to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match unofficial Test series. Skipper Rishabh Pant's sparkling 90 and crucial lower-order contributions helped India chase down a stiff 275-run target after being in trouble early on.
Resuming at 119 for four wickets overnight, India A had a tricky task at hand as they still needed another 166 runs to win. But their captain Rishabh Pant came out with definite purpose and put pressure on the bowlers right away. He smacked pacer Okuhle Cele for a six off the second ball of the day and followed it with two crisp boundaries to third man, collecting 14 runs in the first over itself.
Pant's 90 off 113 deliveries, laced with 11 fours and 4 sixes, was a display of controlled aggression and smart shot selection. He shared a brisk 63-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Ayush Badoni (34 off 47) to keep India's hopes alive.
However, Pant’s counterattack came to a close when he miscued a pull shot off Tiaan van Vuuren to have Lesego Senokwane complete the catch at second slip. The wicket came after Senokwane had dropped Pant on 80 earlier in the innings a catch that could have turned out to be the game-changer.
The significance of Pant's innings was more than just runs on the board. The fact that he also kept wickets for over 139 overs in the match made this a very timely reminder of his fitness and form going into India's senior Test series against South Africa later this month. Undoubtedly, his energy, leadership, and intent will add strength to his case for a comeback into the national set-up.
After Pant fell, the wickets kept falling. Badoni was caught at deep fine leg, trying to pull a short delivery from Van Vuuren. Tanush Kotian (23 off 30) too promised much but couldn’t resist a well-directed bouncer from Lutho Sipamla and perished just before lunch.
At the start of play, India A had added 101 runs but lost three key wickets and reached 216 for seven, still 59 runs adrift of the target. With the top order back in the pavilion, the responsibility fell on the lower orde and they delivered brilliantly.
The unbeaten 59-run partnership between Anshul Kamboj, 37 not out, and Manav Suthar, 20 not out, clinched the issue decisively in India's favour. Both batsmen showed remarkable guts and patience against some fiery short-pitched stuff by the tenacious Van Vuuren.
Kamboj, hit on the helmet during his innings, responded defiantly by pulling the same bowler for a six and a four soon after the medical check. Suthar too took a painful blow on the shoulder but continued to battle on. Their gritty resistance frustrated the South Africans and finally, Suthar sealed the win with a boundary off Prenelan Subrayen over mid-wicket.
This three-wicket win means that India A have taken a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. The result was testimony not just to the depth in India's domestic talent pool but also the fighting spirit of the team that skipper Pant has led. The second and final four-day match will be played at the BCCI Centre of Excellence grounds from next Thursday, with India A looking to complete the series in style.
