IND A vs SA A: Host suffers first loss

Shikhar Dhawan’s half-century goes in vain as South Africa A collects a four-run win in a rain-curtailed contest.

File Photo: Shikhar Dhawan found form after a dry run in the Caribbean.

South Africa A secured a four-run win over India A in the fourth unofficial one-day match at the Sports Hub here on Thursday.

Needing 193 to go 4-0 up in the series, India A could only manage 188 for nine off 25 overs.

An India A win looked a mere formality when it was comfortably placed at 161 for three at the start of the 20th over. However, the home side suffered a dramatic collapse -  losing six wickets for  just 17 runs - to fall short of the  target.

The South African fast bowlers were incisive at the death overs but the Indian batsmen compounded their woes with poor shot selection.

Heavy rain in the morning and wet outfield delayed the start of the match yet again.

When play finally got underway at 1.30 PM, the overnight pair of Shikhar Dhawan and Prashant Chopra played fluently to bring up their fifty run stand for the second wicket.

Dhawan in particular was in ominous touch and scored boundaries regularly to punish the wayward South African bowling. 

The rut began when Prashant (26) flicked Lutho Sipamla straight to Anrich Nortje at fine leg. Dhawan left soon after completing his fifty, feathering a catch to wicket-keeper Sinethemba Qeshile off Marco Jansen.

However, Shivam Dube (31) and captain Shreyas Iyer (26) added 51 runs briskly for the fourth wicket to put India-A in command.

But man-of-the match Nortje in his second spell dismissed both the batsmen in the same over to give South Africa hope. Both batsmen fell to attacking shots and in the process exposed the lower order.

Sipamla, who bore the brunt of attack from Dube and Iyer, came back strongly and induced an edge from Sanju Samson (1) which was brilliantly held by Qeshile. Nitish Rana (1) also flattered to deceive and threw his wicket away.

Marco Jansen then dismissed Washington Sundar (7) and Tushar Deshpande (0) off successive deliveries to further dent India A's chances.

India A needed 15 runs from the final over bowled by Beuran Hendricks and it was a tall order for both Rahul Chahar and Ishan Porel and they could only manage 10 runs. 

• South Africa ‘A’ 137 for 1 in 25 overs (Reeza Hendricks 60) beat India ‘A’ 188 for 9 in 25 overs (Shikhar Dhawan 52, Shivam Dube 31, A. Nortje 3 for 36, M. Jansen 3 for 35, L. Sipamla 3 for 55) by four runs (DLS method).