South Africa A slipped to a 69-run defeat by India in Thursday’s limited-overs series opener at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, despite a superb century from opening batsman Reeza Hendricks.
Rain reduced the fixture to 47 overs per side, as South Africa A captain Temba Bavuma won the toss and opted to bowl first.
The hosts’ total of 327-6 would have read substantially less, had lower-order duo Axar Patel and Shivam Dube not shared an unbroken alliance of 121 inside a dozen overs. The counter-attacking partnership capitalised on left-arm seamer Beuran Hendricks’ expense in particular.
Hendricks conceded 89 runs in 10 overs, while spinner George Linde travelled for 49 in five. Fellow slow bowler Bjorn Fortuin, who has been named in the Proteas’ squad for next month’s three T20Is against India, conceded a mere 40 runs in 10 overs – and clinched the vital wickets of opener Shubman Gill and wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan.
The visitors’ pursuit was spearheaded by Hendricks, who collected 110 from 108 deliveries – and hit 12 fours and one six. He enjoyed help from middle-order batsman Khaya Zondo and wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen, who added 30 and 58, respectively. Support was severely lacking elsewhere across the order, though.
The visitors eventually succumbed to 258 all out amid World Cup leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal’s telling haul of 5-47.
The second of the five-match series will be played at the same venue on Saturday.
Photo: Getty Images
