BENGALURU: Skipper Rishabh Pant’s fluent 90, supported by valuable lower-order contributions, guided India A to a hard-fought three-wicket win over South Africa A in the opening four-day match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday. The victory gave India A a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, with the second game scheduled at the BCCI Centre of Excellence grounds from Thursday.
Resuming on 119 for four while chasing 275, India A needed 166 runs to win at the start of play. Pant (90 off 113 balls, 11 fours, 4 sixes) and Ayush Badoni (34 off 47) provided early momentum, adding 63 runs in 12 overs through a mix of aggression and control. Pant set the tone in the day’s opening over, taking 14 runs off pacer Okuhle Cele, including a towering six and two deft boundaries.
The pair’s attacking stand forced South Africa to shift tactics and bowl shorter. The move paid off when Pant, rushed by a short delivery from Tiaan van Vuuren, was caught by Lesego Senokwane at second slip. Senokwane had earlier dropped the India captain on 80 off Prenelan Subrayen.
Pant’s innings, following 139.3 overs of wicketkeeping earlier in the match, will boost his case for a recall to India’s Test squad for the upcoming series against South Africa.
After Pant’s dismissal, India stumbled as Badoni and Tanush Kotian (23) fell in quick succession. From 216 for seven, the hosts still needed 59 runs, and it was left to the tail to see them through. Manav Suthar (20 not out) and Anshul Kamboj (37 not out) showed composure and resilience to stitch an unbroken eighth-wicket stand that sealed the win.
Kamboj overcame a blow to the helmet from Van Vuuren, responding with a six and a four off successive deliveries, while Suthar survived a hit on the shoulder. Their determined effort frustrated South Africa’s bowlers, and victory came fittingly when Suthar lofted Subrayen over mid-wicket for a boundary.
India A’s gritty chase reflected both Pant’s commanding presence and the lower order’s character under pressure, setting the tone for the remainder of the series.
Brief Scores: South Africa A: 309 and 199 lost to India A: 234 and 277/7 (Rishabh Pant 90, Tiaan van Vuuren 3/56)