In what turned out to be a thrilling conclusion to the SA A vs IND A series, South Africa A produced one of their best fourth-innings performances to defeat India A by five wickets in the second unofficial Test at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
Chasing 417 to win, the visitors showed tremendous resilience and depth in their batting line-up to achieve the target in the 98th over, levelling the two-match series at 1-1.
Dominant Opening Partnership Sets the Tone
Resuming the final day on 25/0, South Africa A openers Jordan Hermann and Lesego Senokwane began in earnest. The former launched an early attack, hammering Akash Deep for four boundaries in an over, to quickly reach his half-century.
Senokwane followed suit, bringing up his half-century before Lunch as the duo propelled South Africa A to 139/0 at the interval, keeping the chase well on track on a surface that had eased out for batting.
Jordan Hermann Misses Out on Hundred, India A Fight Back Briefly
After lunch, Hermann carried on with his attacking game, smashing Prasidh Krishna for a six and a four to enter the 90s. Krishna responded well soon as he got Hermann caught and bowled off a brilliant 91. Senokwane was dismissed soon after, LBW to Harsh Dubey for 77, giving India A a glimmer of hope. But that hope was short-lived.
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Hamza and Bavuma’s Partnership Anchors the Chase
Zubayr Hamza and Temba Bavuma, both experienced batters, then calmed the innings by putting on a pragmatic century partnership which took them to both past their fifties, playing sensibly with plenty of caution but also showing controlling aggression. At Tea, South Africa A was 219/2 – they still had 198 to get, but at that stage they felt morph of in control of the chase.
Their calculated approach, which included rotating the strike and punishing loose deliveries, frustrated the Indian bowlers, who found it tough to get breakthroughs on a batting-friendly pitch.
Esterhuizen and van Vuuren Seal Famous Win
Even as wickets fell late in the day, Connor Esterhuizen, who struck a quickfire fifty, and Tiaan van Vuuren made sure there were no late stumbles. A win in the 98th over saw South Africa A complete a historic 417-run chase-one of the highest successful chases in unofficial Test history.
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India A’s bowlers toiled hard but found little support from the surface, as South Africa A’s composed batting dismantled the attack with precision.
Brief Scores – SA A vs IND A, 2nd Unofficial Test
India A: 255 & 382/7d
South Africa A: 221 & 417/5 (Jordan Hermann 91, Lesego Senokwane 77, Zubayr Hamza 77; Prasidh Krishna 2/49)
Result: South Africa A won by 5 wickets
Series: Drawn 1-1 Overview A gritty and deep performance from South Africa A
The SA A vs IND A series was an ideal platform for emerging players from both countries. While India A dominated the first match of the series, South Africa A’s response in Bengaluru pointed at their bench strength and draw the series at the end.
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