Press Trust of India
Wayanad (Kerala), August 25: Left-arm spinner Axar Patel (5/92) was at his best as India A spinners bowled out South Africa A for 260 on day one of the second and final unofficial Test at the Krishnagiri Stadium here Tuesday.
Opting to bat the Proteas were cruising comfortably at 185 for two in the 59th over before losing eight wickets for 75 runs.
Left-handed opener Stiaan van Zyl (96, 193b, 13×4, 1×6) missed out on a century but it was his dismissal which led to the collapse. Off-spinner Jayant Yadav (3/53) also put up an improved show including the prize wicket of Quinton de Kock (0) while burly leg-spinner Karn Sharma ended with 2/36.
The South Africa A openers Reeza Hendricks (22) and Van Zyl started on a cautious note adding 58 for the opening stand. Patel then got rid of Hendricks.
There was another 49-run stand between Van Zyl and Gihahn Cloete (26) before the No. 3 batsman became Yadav’s first victim being caught by Vijay Shankar.
Van Zyl however waited patiently for loose balls and paced his innings to perfection. His partnership with last match’s centurion Omphile Ramela (30) yielded 78 runs before Karn got into the act by dismissing the latter.
Van Zyl played through a wrong line to get bowled by Yadav and things suddenly changed. The off-spinner then fooled De Kock with a flighted delivery as Ankush Bains effected a smart stumping.
Once half of the team was back in the pavilion with barely 200 plus score on the board, Axar bowled a tight line to polish off the lower order in
quick time.