The South African A bowlers were put to the sword as India A ran up 411 for the loss of just two wickets in the first innings on day two of their unofficial Test in Bengaluru.
There was a double ton for Mayank Agarwal, who has a first-class best of 304 (not out), and a century for his opening partner Prithvi Shaw, an 18-year-old who has played just 12 first-class matches, as the Indians took a 165-run lead into day three.
Off-spinner Dane Piedt finally broke through, bowling Shaw for 136 off 196 balls, including 20 fours and a six, after 277 had been put on for the opening stand, off 58 overs – a run rate of almost 4.8. Duanne Olivier then had Ravikumar Samarth (31) caught behind late in the gruelling day, when 395 runs were on the board.
Agarwal closed the day with a superb 220, which came off just 250 balls, and contained 31 fours and four sixes, rattling along at a strike rate of 88.
The South Africans had ended day one on a laborious 246-8 off 88 overs, and lost the last two wickets off the first three balls of the day, Malusi Siboto remaining on 13 and Beuran Hendricks on 6.
The South Africans were fortunate even to be there, and owed much to No 6 batsman Rudi Second, whose gritty 94 off 139 balls – with 12 fours – lifted the team from 93-4 to 238-8. There were particularly tested by the right-arm medium pacers of Mohammed Siraj, who had taken 3-56 on day one and cleaned up the last two batsmen on Sunday.
Indeed, it was pace that destroyed the South Africans, with Navdeep Saini and Rajneesh Gurbani taking two apiece, the spinners taking just one from a combined 36 overs.
The Indians, on the other hand, were untroubled by the three-prong pace attack of Hendricks, Siboto and Duanne Olivier, who bowled 37 overs between them, nor by the spin of Piedt, Shaun von Berg and Senuran Muthusamy, who bowled 44.
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