Rohit Sharma lasted just two balls before he fell for a duck in his final warm-up match before the test series against South Africa gets underway next week in Visakhapatnam.
Captaining the India Board XI against a South African representative side, and opening the batting with Mayak Agarwal, Sharma was leading the response to the South African first innings score of 279 – 6 declared, in a match that has been heavily affected by rain so far.
However, Sharma fell off the second ball of the second over, caught by substitute fielder Heinrich Klaasen off the bowling of the veteran South African paceman Vernon Philander. Hardly the sort of preparation that he was looking for, with places at the top of the order in the test team up for grabs.
That was in contrast to the form of another opening batsman, Aiden Markram who, ominously for South African, seems to have found a way to cope with Indian pitches and conditions already. Having struck a big hundred batting for South Africa A in their second unofficial test against India A last week, he followed that up with another brisk century on the first day here, striking 2 sixes and 18 fours before declaring his innings.
Skipper Faf du Plessis had a less happy time, making his first appearance of the South African tour to date, scoring just 9 before he was lbw to Dharmendrasih Jadeja. However, another test hopeful, Temba Bavuma, gave a timely hint to the South African selectors as to his potential by scoring 87 not out, sharing a stand of 90 for the sixth wicket before the declaration was made.
In reply, Agarwal looked to rebuild the innings with another man hoping for a call up to the Indian squad, Abhimanya Easwaran, but the Benjali batsman rather fluffed his lines by making just 13 before he was caught by Markram off Kagiso Rabada.
It was left to Priyank Panchai to hold the President’s innings together, sharing stands with Karun Nair and Siddhesh Lad, before he fell for 60, caught by du Plessis off Philander, having struck one six and 10 fours. It was Lad and wicketkeeper, KS Bharat, pressing his claims to be considered as an alternative to Risbabh Pant that then caught the eye, sharing a partnership of exactly 100 for the sixth wicket, before Bharat fell for 71 to the South African spinner Keshav Maharaj. He had hit no fewer than 5 sixes and 7 fours. Two quick wickets fell before the end of play for the day, but Lad was 52 not out at the close with India 265 -8, and the match seemingly headed for a draw.
