Dec. 12: Day 2 of the First Unofficial Test
Even when Saurabh and du Plessis shine
In Bloemfontein, play eventually broke out as South Africa A scored a commanding 298/5 to start the first unofficial Test. Vidhwath Kaverappa struck in his opening over to dismiss Cameron Shekleton for a duck, giving India A a terrific start. Despite batting out 86 deliveries, Yaseen Valli managed to make just 16 runs before being dismissed by Saurabh Kumar. But after that, India A found it difficult to gain the lead in the match as Jean du Plessis and Rubin Hermann held the visitors at bay.
Hermann consistently struck limits at regular intervals, making him the more aggressive of the two. Hermann went five short of a century, and he added 84 for the third wicket before Saurabh handed India a crucial breakthrough. Still, Du Plessis persisted, stitching together another half-century stand with the middle order batsmen. With a couple of sixes and six fours, Connor Esterhuizen took India by surprise with his aggressive style of play. Captain Bryce Parsons contributed 59 for the fourth wicket. Conversely, Du Plessis reached his century before India ultimately ended the day with a victory thanks to Esterhuizen’s wicket.
In brief, South Africa A 298/5 vs India A (Jean du Plessis 103*, Rubin Hermann 95; Saurabh Kumar 3/83)
Dec. 11: Day 1 of the First Unofficial Test
Rain prevents play.
