A confident Aiden Markram (83 batting, 140b, 12x4) held firm even as South Africa-A crumbled against India-A on the second day of their second ‘Test’, at SDNR Wadiyar Stadium here on Wednesday.
South Africa-A limped to 159 for five, 258 runs behind India-A’s first innings total of 417. Markram, part of the senior Test side to face India, made maximum use of valuable match practice. He was confident from the start, planting his front foot forward and driving through the line. He was severe on left-arm chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav, smashing him through the cover region regularly.
Markram received good support from fellow Test team member Theunis de Bruyn, the duo adding 82 runs for the second wicket. De Bruyn looked fluent in his 54-ball 41, until he was castled by left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem.
Senuran Muthusamy fell to terrible shot selection, attempting a reverse sweep to Kuldeep with only around 10 overs left for close of play. Kuldeep had another scalp, when Heinrich Klaasen’s uppish drive resulted in a simple caught and bowled catch.
Saha, Dube star with bat
Earlier, contributions from Wriddhiman Saha (60, 126b), Shivam Dube (68, 84b) and Jalaj Saxena (48 not out, 105b) pushed India-A to a big score. Karun Nair, 78 overnight, could not add to his tally, falling to a loose drive outside off. Saha was compact, but was taken out leg-before to an inswinger from pacer Vernon Philander. Dube was his usual attacking self, chancing his arm to anything wide. His luck ran out when he slashed a full and wide one from fast bowler Wiaan Mulder to slip.
Umesh Yadav (24, 13b, 2x4, 2x6) entertained the small crowd, going after the bowlers with impunity. Left-arm spinner Muthusamy was at the receiving end, his flighted deliveries greeted with mighty heaves over mid-wicket. Offspinner Dane Peidt and Mulder emerged as the most successful bowlers with three wickets each.
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