South Africa A chase down 417 to seal thrilling five-wicket win against India A

South Africa A successfully chased down a target of 417 runs to win the second four-day match against India A by five wickets. A brilliant top-order effort, including fifties from Hermann, Senokwane, Bavuma, and Hamza, led the visitors to victory

Bengaluru: South Africa A’s top-order batters ran riot against a set of regular Test bowlers in India A’s ranks, securing a memorable five-wicket win on the fourth day of the second four-day match here on Sunday.

Chasing an improbable target of 417, South Africa, overnight 25 for no loss, never looked daunted by the size of the target. If anything, they were determined to overhaul it.

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Jordan Hermann (91, 123 balls), Lesego Senokwane (77, 174 balls), Temba Bavuma (59, 101 balls), Zubayr Hamza (77, 88 balls), and Connor Esterhuizen (52 not out, 54 balls) all produced glittering fifties to power SA A to 417/5 with three overs remaining, as the match went past the regular 5 pm close to complete the 90-over quota.

It was the highest run chase in ‘A’ matches.

Perhaps, the no-going-back situation of needing to score 392 runs on the day to avoid a 0-2 series defeat spurred the combative instincts in the South African batters, and it was reflected in the innings of Hermann and Senokwane.
The openers added 156 runs off 258 balls to give South Africa an ideal launching pad, and in the first session alone, they scored 114 runs in just 27 overs.

At 139 for no loss at lunch, it was clear that the BCCI Centre of Excellence pitch, which had offered plenty of assistance to pacers, had lost its sting after some heavy rolling.

But due credit should be given to Hermann and Senokwane for showing the diligence to resist the experienced Indian bowlers.

Hermann, in particular, was impressive, executing some fabulous drives through the covers off pacer Akash Deep. It would not be long before the 23-year-old found himself in the senior South African side.

However, he would be kicking himself for spooning a return catch to Prasidh Krishna a few overs into the post-lunch session.

Senokwane departed soon after, as he missed a sweep off left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey and was adjudged leg before.

The visitors were 197 for two at that stage in 53 overs. Though in a comfortable position, it was not clear whether they would push for a win, especially with two new batters in the middle.

But Bavuma and Hamza, particularly the latter, played some dazzling shots to keep SA ahead of the curve. Hamza’s drives and flicks were a treat to watch as they added 107 runs for the third wicket to take the tourists past the 300-run mark.

That Mohammad Siraj had to stay out of the field for more than an hour to tend to his finger, which got hit while fielding, took away some edge from the Indian attack during that period.

However, the pacer came back and bowled four overs (4-0-24-1), later dismissing the hard-hitting Marques Ackerman to slow down the South Africans.

Just as the third-wicket alliance between Bavuma and Hamza was chugging along, Prasidh’s fuller delivery took a deflection off the latter’s bat and crashed onto his stumps.

Bavuma, on the other hand, played a solid innings, dealing with the hosts’ pacers and the left-arm wrist spin of Kuldeep Yadav quite effectively, until he hoisted Akash into the hands of Sai Sudharsan.

Sudharsan also did the captain’s duty from the middle of the second session, as Pant had to retreat to the dressing room for some time with the team physio.

However, Pant returned when the mandatory overs kicked in past 5 pm.

But Bavuma, who was dismissed for a golden duck in the first innings, redeemed himself with a fifty before that, which should fill him with some confidence ahead of the Test series.

When Bavuma was dismissed, SA were 352 for five, needing 65 more runs to reach home. Esterhuizen and Tiaan Van Vuuren (20 not out) ensured that SA would not fumble as the former rattled off a fifty in just 51 balls.

The powerful right-hander towelled spinner Harsh Dubey and pacer Akash to take SA past the target without further damage.

Despite not being able to force a win, India will take a few positives from the series, such as Pant’s return to full fitness, Dhruv Jurel’s rise as a specialist batter, and the bowlers adding valuable miles to their legs ahead of the sterner test against world champions South Africa.