IND-A vs SA-A, 2nd Unofficial One-Day: India A looks to seal series against gutsy South Africa

You know the demands of modern cricket are shifting when training sessions focus more on attacking shots rather than getting the eye in.

Three minutes into their batting stints, Ishan Kishan was already reverse-sweeping, Nitish Kumar Reddy middled a slog sweep into the stands, and India-A captain Tilak Varma launched a net bowler straight towards the media centre here at the Niranjan Shah Stadium on the eve of the second one-day game against South Africa A.

This is how the new generation has grown up batting — taking on bowlers from ball one. But India-A isn’t a one-dimensional unit.

Ruturaj Gaikwad’s composed century in the first game showed the value of adapting to conditions, especially on a pitch where the absence of dew brought bowlers into play more than usual.

South Africa-A comes into the contest knowing it has competed hard all tour, even if decisive moments have gone India’s way.

IND-A vs SA-A, 1st unofficial One-Day Report: Gaikwad ton takes India-A to four-wicket win

A fightback from 16 for four to 285 for nine in the first One-Day mirrored its resilience in the multi-day leg. That total pushed India-A into the final over before the chase was sealed.

What hurt the visitor was the top-order collapse and fielding errors, including a missed chance of Gaikwad in the deep.

Captain Marques Ackerman, before the first game, had acknowledged his side’s inexperience, especially in the Indian conditions. Ackerman himself is touring India for the first time.

Another issue for the visitor was a lack of planning.

The bowlers rarely challenged the Indian batters with bouncers – despite having fielders in the deep – or mixed in enough slower ones, making their spells predictable.

But the team can bounce back.

Young Lhuan-dre Pretorius could strengthen the batting, while Prenelan Subrayen might be added to support Bjorn Fortuin after the pitch kept spinners in the game. The side could slot in pacer Lutho Sipamla as well.

India-A’s challenge, in contrast, is managing a problem of plenty. The Tilak-led side had the luxury of benching Ayush Badoni and Prabhsimran Singh in the opener, and any changes on Sunday are likely to be rotational.

The pace attack — Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, and Harshit Rana — executed variations well, especially the slower balls and wide yorkers that kept South Africa’s scoring in check.

Sunday’s game will show whether South Africa-A can finally stitch together the complete performance it has threatened all tour, or if India-A’s blend of intent and depth keeps it firmly in control of the series.

Published on Nov 15, 2025