South Africa A pulled off a historic win by chasing a huge target of 417 runs and won the match by 5 wickets. India A had declared their second innings at 382/7, and that decision turned out to hurt them. South Africa A batted brilliantly, reached the target, and the series ended in a draw.
Here is the recap of this contest. After being invited to bat first, India A were bowled out for 255 runs in 77.1 overs. The innings revolved around a gritty knock from Dhruv Jurel, who remained unbeaten on 132 off 175 balls, laced with 12 fours and 4 sixes. However, he received little support from the other end as wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals.
The top order failed to get going, with Abhimanyu Easwaran falling for a duck and Devdutt Padikkal, Sai Sudharsan, and KL Rahul departing cheaply. Rishabh Pant showed brief intent with 24 off 20 balls, while Kuldeep Yadav played a patient knock of 20 off 88 balls to help India A inch past the 250-run mark.
For South Africa A, Tiaan van Vuuren was the standout performer with the ball, claiming 4 wickets for 52 runs. Tshepo Moreki and Subrayen picked up two wickets apiece, while Okuhle Cele chipped in with one.
In response, South Africa A were bundled out for 221 in 47.3 overs, falling 34 runs short of India A’s first innings total of 254. The innings revolved entirely around skipper MJ Ackerman, who played a lone hand with a scintillating 134 off 118 balls, laced with 17 fours and 5 sixes. However, the lack of support from the other end proved costly.
The top order crumbled early, slipping to 12/3 as Akash Deep and Siraj made early inroads. Jordan Hermann (26) tried to settle things, but once he departed, Ackerman was left to wage a lone battle. Despite his brilliance, wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals. For India A, Prasidh Krishna starred with 3 for 35, while Akash Deep and Siraj chipped in with two wickets apiece. Kuldeep Yadav and Harsh Dubey also struck once each to complete a collective bowling effort.
India A posted a strong total of 382/7 in their second innings before declaring, setting a steep target of 417 runs for South Africa A. Dhruv Jurel once again shone with the bat, smashing back-to-back centuries and remaining unbeaten on 127 runs. While the top order struggled, with Abhimanyu Easwaran bagging a pair in this contest and KL Rahul (27), Devdutt Padikkal (24), and Sai Sudharsan (23) failing to convert their starts, it was the partnership between Jurel and Harsh Dubey (84 off 116 balls) that revived the innings. Rishabh Pant played a brisk knock of 65 off 54 balls, striking 5 fours and 4 sixes, to accelerate the scoring rate and provide much-needed momentum.
For South Africa A, Okuhle Cele was the pick of the bowlers, claiming 3 for 46. Tshepo Moreki, Tiaan van Vuuren, Subrayen, and Kyle Simmonds chipped in with a wicket each, but none could prevent the massive partnership that powered India A beyond 380.
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