The first unofficial test match between India A and South Africa A resumed on the second day in Thiruvanthapuram on Tuesday, with the home side 129 – 2, responding to the visitors first innings score of 164 all out.
The two batsmen not out overnight were the captain Shubman Gill and Ankit Bawne, but the latter did not last long, departing when only four had been added to the total, bowled by Marco Jansen, who was having a good match for his side with both bat and ball. Gill then shared a partnership of 44 for the fourth wicket, before he fell for 90, bowled by the off-break of Dane Piedt. The India A captain had scored one six and 13 fours in his innings, and, although he would have been disappointed not to have reached his century, he would have done his chances of a call-up for the senior team to face South Africa in the forthcoming test and one day series no harm in front of the watching selectors.
Wicket-keeper KS Bharat and Shivam Dube shared a stand of 17, but then Dube was caught behind off Lungu Ngidi, whilst Bharat fell to the bowling of Lutho Sipalma, caught by Zubayr. When Krsihnappa Gowtham fell to the same bowler two balls later for a duck, South Africa A had fought their way back into the match, reducing the home side to 199 – 7.
However, that was to reckon without Jalaj Saxena and Shardul Thakar who combined in an 8th wicket stand of exactly 100 that helped to consolidate the home side’s advantage. The fall of Thakur, lbw to Ngidi, though, sparked a late collapse, as India lost their last two wickets in identical fashion, both Shahbaz Nadeem and Mohammed Siraj falling to the bowling of Piedt for ducks, stumped by Heinrich Klaasen. In the end, India A were bowled out for 303, with Saxena undefeated on 61, having struck 11 fours.
That gave India A a first innings lead of 139, and they made an almost immediate breakthrough in the South African second innings, Siraj bowling Pieter Malan for just 4. And then the other fast bowler struck, Thakur removing the South African captain Aiden Markram for just 4.
Hamza and Khaya Zondo put on 24, but then leg spinner Shahbaz Nadeem struck twice, removing Zondo for 10, and then having Senuran Muthusamy leg before. However, Hamza and Klaasen showed some fight with a stand of 42, before Hamza fell for 44, caught by RK Buhl off Krishnappa Gowtham. Then Klaasen combined with Wiaan Mulder, and the pair put on an undefeated 31 to guide South Africa to 125 – 5 overnight.
That meant that the visitors still trailed India A by 14 runs, with five second innings wickets standing.
