Vihari puts India in the prime seats

NOT for the first time in their series, India A finished a day holding all the cards against South Africa ‘A’ in Bengaluru.

It is now a familiar script, as the hosts closed day one on 322 for four, to all but make the series secure. At 1-0 up, and three days to go, it will take an extraordinary effort from South Africa to win and level the two-match series.

There would have been serious hope of a change in fortunes in the visiting camp, when they reduced their hosts to 18-2, inside 10 overs.

Those two victims were the heroes of the first ‘Test’, in Mayank Agarwal and Prithiv Shaw.

Agarwal fell for a second ball duck, a far cry from the majestic, double hundred he conjured up at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium last week.

Shaw, too, fell quickly for 16, as the hosts had a sluggish start. From 80 for three, however, the repair work was made by Ankit Bawne (80) and the star of the day, Hanuma Vihari.

The latter has a triple century to his name, and went to sleep on a meticulous 138 not out.

How far India progress with their first visit to the crease will depend on the middle-order man from Hyderabad. Like many of his ilk, Vihari has an appetite for big runs, with a first-class best of 302.

There was some joy for South Africa, with spinners Dane Piedt and then Senuran Muthusamy getting rid of Bawne and Shreyas Iyer respectively. Iyer, the home skipper, made a threatening 39 off 54 balls, before left-arm spinner Muthusamy had him smartly caught by Rassie van der Dussen.

That gave South Africa ‘A’ some late cheer, but they will start day two knowing they have to make early inroads, if they are to have any chance of victory.