PACERS HELP INFLICT INNINGS DEFEAT ON S AFRICA ‘A’

RUSTENBURG (SOUTH AFRICA): India ‘A’ crushed hosts South Africa ‘A’ by an innings and 13 runs on the fourth and final day of the opening unofficial Test to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, here.

Indian bowlers continued their dominating show as they shot out South Africa for 212 in their second innings after making them follow on at Olympia Park. Seam bowlers Mohammed Shami (3/29) and Ishwar Pandey (3/25) picked up three wickets each while part-time spinner Rohit Sharma scalped two wickets to fashion India’s crushing win over the hosts.

Middle-order batsman Temba Bavuma (65) was the top-scorer for South Africa in their second innings. His innings was laced with six fours. SOME RESISTANCE Resuming at overnight 312 for nine, Kyle Abbott (33 not out) and Andrew Birch (18) provided some late resistance before Suresh Raina had the latter trapped leg before to bring an end to South Africa’s first innings at 357.

After asking South Africa to follow on, India’s frontline quicks struck early with Pandey dismissing Reeza Hendricks (4) in the third ball of his first over.

Shami then struck twice in the sixth over, removing Dean Elgar (3) and J P Duminy (0) in the space of four deliveries.

Newman Rilee Rossouw tried to break the shackles and cracked three boundaries in the 10th over bowled by Shami. He was dismissed in the 20th over by Raina, who castled Rossouw’s timbers when the batsman went for a sweep shot.

Bavuma picked up a couple of boundaries in the 23rd over off Raina, while Ontong (19) hit two fours off Shami’s in the 25th over. But Shami came back strongly to clean up Ontong in the fourth delivery of the same over as South Africa slipped to 93 for five.

BRIEF SCORES India A 582/9 dec. South Africa A 357 (Duminy 84, Pandey 4/46) and 212 (Bavuma 65, Pandey 3/25, Shami 3/33).