Siraj shines with 10-wkt haul as India A defeat South A by innings and 30 runs

Bengaluru: Pace  bowler Mohammed Siraj wreaked havoc on South Africa A with a ten-wicket match haul as India A thrashed the visitors by an Innings and 30 runs on the fourth and final day of the unofficial  ‘test’ match played at M Chinnaswamy stadium here.

Facing a daunting task of scoring 338 to make India A bat again, South Africa resuming at 99 for 4 in their second innings fought valiantly with prolific keeper batsman Rudi Second registering an identical 94 in a marathon 214-ball innings. He had emerged as the highest scorer in the first innings also with a similar individual score.

However, with barely few overs left on the final day that could have fetched them an honourable draw, South Africa were all out for 308 in the second innings. Earlier the visitors had made 246 in the first innings and India in their first knock had amassed 584 for 8 before declaring the innings.

Siraj emerged as the most impressive bowler taking 10 wickets in the match. In the South African second innings he returned with an impressive figures of 27.5-9-73-5. This was following his 5 for 56 in the first innings.

India A boys looked for an early close as they needed just six wickets and one full day’s play left on final day today. But 29-year-old Knight’s star batsman Second had other ideas. He deftly handled the India A bowlers and in the company of Shaun von Berg (50) who was equally aplomb in facing the host bowlers stayed at the wicket facing 119 balls and added 119 runs for the sixth wicket in 50.4 overs.

Earlier, Zubayr Hamza was the other prominent scorer for South Africa A making 63.

This raised the hopes of South Africa A salvaging the draw but India A bowlers ultimately wrapped up the match in the 129th over of the visitor’s second innings.

Medium pacer Rajneesh Gurbani was the other successful bowler for India A taking 2 for 45 runs. Spinners Axar Patel and Yazuvendra Chahal who bowled large part of the overs today ended up with a wicket each.

Brief Scores: South Africa I innings 246. India I innings 584 for 8 dec. South Africa II innings (Zuvayr Hamza 63, Rudi Second 94, Shaun von Berg 50, Mohammed Siraj 5-73). (UNI)