Batters power Proteas A to highest run chase in 'A' matches

BENGALURU: South Africa A produced one of the most remarkable run chases in recent ‘A’ cricket history, overhauling a massive 417-run target to beat India A by five wickets on the final day of the second four-day match at the KSCA-BCCI Centre of Excellence here on Sunday.

Chasing what appeared to be an improbable total, the visitors resumed on 25 for no loss and stunned the hosts with their fearless approach. Openers Jordan Hermann (91 off 123 balls) and Lesego Senokwane (77 off 174) laid the perfect foundation, adding 156 runs off 258 balls for the opening wicket. Their partnership blunted India’s experienced bowling attack, which included Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Kuldeep Yadav.

By lunch, South Africa had raced to 139 without loss, making it clear that the pitch — which had earlier aided pacers — had flattened out after heavy rolling. Hermann, in particular, looked in sublime touch, driving Akash Deep elegantly through the covers before holing out to Prasidh Krishna just after the break. Senokwane soon followed, missing a sweep against left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey to fall leg before.

At 197 for two, South Africa still had work to do, but Temba Bavuma (59) and Zubayr Hamza (77) steadied the chase with a fluent 107-run stand for the third wicket. Hamza’s strokeplay was especially eye-catching — his crisp drives and flicks keeping the scoreboard moving — while Bavuma, dismissed for a golden duck in the first innings, found form with a composed half-century.

India A’s momentum was further dented when Siraj left the field for over an hour after injuring his finger while fielding. Though he returned to dismiss Marques Ackerman, the damage had been done.

Once Hamza and Bavuma departed, Connor Esterhuizen (52 not out off 54 balls) ensured South Africa’s momentum didn’t falter. He counter-attacked brilliantly, striking boundaries off Dubey and Akash Deep, and alongside Tiaan van Vuuren (20 not out) guided the visitors home in the final session.

South Africa A finished at 417/5, completing the highest successful chase in ‘A’ matches and levelling the two-match series 1-1.

Despite the defeat, India A found silver linings — Rishabh Pant’s full return to fitness, Dhruv Jurel’s emergence as a reliable batter, and valuable bowling miles for their Test-bound players ahead of the senior team’s series against South Africa.

Brief Scores: India A 255 and 382/7d lost to South Africa A 417/5 (Jordan Hermann 91, Lesego Senokwane 77, Zubayr Hamza 77, Temba Bavuma 59)