Pant's gritty fifty keeps India A together in chase of 275

Bengaluru, Nov 1 (PTI) Skipper Rishabh Pant’s unbeaten fifty laced with impudence, patience and fortune held India A together, taking them to 119 for four against South Africa A on the penultimate day of the four-day match here on Saturday.

India still need 166 runs to scale down the target of 275, after South Africa, overnight 30 for no loss, were bundled out for 199 in their second innings.

Pant (64 batting, 81 balls, 8x4, 2x6) and Ayush Badoni (0) were at the crease at stumps, and the former will have to play a vital role in getting India A closer home on Sunday.

The wicketkeeper-batter joined Rajat Patidar (28) in the middle when the South Africans were bowling like wind, troubling the batters with pace and bounce.

At one stage, India were 32 for three, having lost Ayush Mhatre, Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal.

Mhatre chopped Tshepo Moreki onto his stumps, Sudharsan’s 38-ball struggle ended when he fell leg before to the same bowler before Okuhle Cele found a tiny gap between the bat and pads of Devdutt.

But Pant, who added 77 runs for a gritty fourth-wicket stand, faced the situation with characteristic gusto, pulling Cele and then carting off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen for a six over covers.

He was not merely looking to hang on but wanted to stamp his authority to bring his side back into contention.

Pant did that with some style and Cele dropped a sitter at fine leg off left-arm pacer Tiaan Van Vuuren when he attempted that no-look loop shot. Pant was on 46 then.

Soon, he brought up a creditable fifty off 65 balls with a four through the covers off Subrayen, and he also received some treatments for possible cramps as the innings progressed.

But at the other end, Patidar was in deep sea against SA pacers, and received an early reprieve on 7. The right-hander edged Cele but Jordan Hermann spilled the chance at second slip.

There were a couple of leg before shouts against Patidar but he survived them, and later opened up to play some of those delightful drives through covers.

However, Patidar undid all the hard work as his attempt to upper cut to Van Vuuren ended in the hands of wicketkeeper Rivaldo Moonsamy, and Pant looked even more disappointed with that faulty shot-selection.

While South African bowlers were all hearts, their batsmen were in a more profligate mood on the day, letting go of a chance to bat the hosts out of the match.

Starting from 30 for no loss, the visitors lost six wickets in the first session itself to find themselves at 128 for six.

Off-spinner Tanush Kotian (4/26) and pacer Anshul Kamboj (3/39) were the beneficiaries of the needless aggression of SA batters.

Zubayr Hamza began with five fours in an over, including two honey-dipped flicks and a cover drive, off pacer Gurnoor Brar, before being bowled to a tame poke off Manav Suthar.

Captain Marques Ackerman’s eagerness to play the reverse sweep off a full ball from Kotian saw his leg-stump getting rattled.

The South Africans were 135 for seven, and were ahead by just 210 runs.

But the late-order batters chanced their arms, adding 64 runs for the last three wickets to stretch the total and the lead, giving South Africa a better chance to stay in the fight. PTI UNG TAP