South Africa A pulled off a sensational team effort to chase down a massive 417-run target against India A in the second and final unofficial Test at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, setting a new record in ‘A’ Test cricket.
South Africa A won the second unofficial Test match by five wickets to level the series 1-1, as India A had won the first unofficial Test match by three wickets. Interestingly, no individual batter scored a century during South Africa’s record chase, which highlights their incredible collective effort.
South Africa A pulls off record 417-run chase to level series against India A
Each player contributed crucial runs as South Africa A registered the highest successful chase in ‘A’ Tests with five players hitting fifties against India A at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. With this memorable chase, South Africa A surpassed the previous highest successful chase in ‘A’ Tests, which was 412 by India A against Australia A in Lucknow recently.
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Jordan Hermann led the chase with the stunning knock of 91 runs off 123 balls, while Lesego Senokwane (77 runs off 174 balls), Zubayr Hamza (77 runs off 88 balls), Temba Bavuma (59 runs off 101 balls), and Connor Esterhuizen (52* runs off 53) stunned the Indian bowling attack with their grit and intent.
Tiaan van Vuuren and Marques Ackerman also contributed 20+ runs in the successful chase. Two partnerships of more than 100 runs completely changed the course of the game in Bengaluru. Prasidh Krishan was the standout bowler for India with two scalps against South Africa A.
Earlier, India A had dominated, taking a first-innings lead of 34 runs and declaring their second innings at 382 for seven. However, South Africa A remained focused and methodical, steadily erasing the deficit over nearly three-and-a-half sessions and winning the game in the final session.
Record-breaking chases by South Africa A
Meanwhile, South Africa A created history in first-class cricket by successfully chasing 417 runs against India A in Bengaluru. This remarkable achievement marked their highest successful chase ever.
Previously, South Africa A’s top chases included 295 against The Rest in Pretoria in 2003 and 217 against Matabeleland Select XI in Bulawayo in 1994.
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When it comes to successful chases against India A, South Africa A now leads with the 417-run chase in Bengaluru. The previous highest was 254 by England A in Kolkata in 1994, followed by Australia A’s 225-run chase in Mackay in 2024.
Aakash Chopra wants both Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel in the Kolkata Test XI
Now, senior teams will face each other in the two-match Test series, followed by three ODIs and five T20Is. The first Test will get underway at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on November 14.
Ahead of the Kolkata Test, the former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra wants both Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel to feature in India’s XI against the WTC champions.
Chopra said in a video on his YouTube channel, “The team has been selected, and both Dhruv Jurel and Rishabh Pant are there. Rishabh Pant will play. Rishabh Pant is the vice-captain. So, he is going to play, and he should play. He is a generational talent if you talk about Test cricket, but I feel Dhruv Jurel should also be played. A place should be created for him in the XI.”
