Cricket Cricket India A in command on day one against South Africa A South Africa A will be disappointed to finish on 246 for 8 on a flat pitch at the M Chinnaswamy stadium. Ashwin Achal Bengaluru 04 August, 2018 19:16 IST Mohammed Siraj (3/56) impressed with good pace and control, and emerged as India's best bowler on the day. - Sampath Kumar G P Ashwin Achal Bengaluru 04 August, 2018 19:16 IST South Africa A's Rudi Second held firm while his teammates crumbled against India-A on the opening day of their unofficial Test in Bengaluru on Saturday.The visitor will be disappointed to finish on 246 for 8 on a flat pitch at the M Chinnaswamy stadium. Seven batsmen fell to edges taken behind the stumps. India-A fast bowler Mohammed Siraj (3/56) impressed with good pace and control, and emerged as India's best bowler on the day. He had sufficient support from Navdeep Saini (2/47) and Rajneesh Gurbani (2/47). The trio benefited from the batsmen’s tendency to needlessly poke around outside the off-stump. Wicketkeeper K.S. Bharat was a busy man, grabbing four catches.Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal picked up only the one wicket, when he got Shaun von Berg to cut one to the hands of Hanuma Vihari at slip.Only Rudi Second held his ground, playing close to his body and leaving deliveries outside off. He was poised to reach his 18th first-class hundred, before he met with a familiar end. An uppish drive to a Siraj outswinger grazed the willow and landed in Bharat’s gloves. Second’s vigil, which lasted over three hours, came to a meek end.Siraj continues good run Siraj continued the good form he showed in India A's recent tour of England. The Hyderabad speedster has taken 18 wickets in his last five innings, and looks set for plenty more in the series.“Ashish Nehra and Bharat Arun [India's bowling coach] advised me to keep the ball consistently in the right areas, and this has helped me,” Siraj said.A month ago, Siraj took the prized wicket of Alastair Cook in a match between India-A and England Lions at Worcester. It came as a huge boost to his confidence. “Getting Cook out bowled was fantastic. He isa world-class player and I was delighted,” Siraj, who has played three Twenty20 internationals, said.The scores:South Africa-A (1st Innings):Pieter Malan c Bharat b Siraj 7 (13b, 1x4), S. Erwee c Bharat b Gurbani 47 (120b, 7x4), Zubayr Hamza c Mayank b Siraj 0 (3b), K. Zondo c Bharat b Saini 24 (51b, 5x4), S Muthusamy c Samarth b Saini 23 (76b, 3x4), R. Second c Bharat b Siraj 94 (139b, 12x4), Shaun von Berg c Vihari b Chahal 15 (68b, 2x4), D. Piedt lbw b Gurbani 5 (26b, 1x4), M. Siboto (batting) 13 (32b, 2x4),B. Hendricks (batting) 6 (4b, 1x4), Extras (b-4, lb-3, nb-4, w-1): 12;Total (for eight wickets in 88 overs): 246.Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Malan, 4.4 ov), 2-20 (Hamza, 6.5 ov), 3-70 (Zondo, 25.2 ov), 4-93 (Erwee, 35.1 ov), 5-152 (Muthusamy, 53.1 ov), 6-191 (von Berg, 71.4 ov), 7-209 (Piedt, 78.2 ov),8-238 (Second,84.5 ov)India-A bowling:Mohammed Siraj 20-3-56-3, Navdeep Saini 17-5-47-2, Rajneesh Gurbani 15-6-47-2, Axar Patel 17-3-35-0, Yuzvendra Chahal 19-3-54-1. Subscribe to our daily newsletter Get your daily dose of Sportstar with handpicked stories delivered right to your inbox! SUBSCRIBE Please enter a valid email address.
Bharat Arun Ashish Nehra Hanuma Vihari Rajneesh Gurbani Navdeep Saini Yuzvendra Chahal M Chinnaswamy Stadium India A South Africa A mohammed siraj