Gaikwad’s century helps India A win by four wickets

Gaikwad’s century helps India A win by four wickets

India A Vs South Africa A 1st Unofficial ODI: Ruturaj Gaikwad scored 117 with the help of 12 fours, as India A beat South Africa A by 4 wickets. The hosts chased down a 286-run target, with three balls to spare.

Ruturaj Gaikwad starred with a brilliant century to help India A clinch a four-wicket win over South Africa A in the first unofficial ODI in Rajkot. Chasing a target of 286, India A reached the finish line with just three balls to spare, thanks to Gaikwad’s composed knock and key partnerships throughout the innings.

Opening the batting, Gaikwad looked in control from the start, hitting 12 boundaries and anchoring the chase. He first added 64 runs with Abhishek Sharma, who played a quickfire cameo of 31 off 25 balls, including four fours and a six. Abhishek fell to Bjorn Fortuin in the final over of the powerplay. Riyan Parag, promoted to No.3, didn’t last long and was trapped lbw by Tiaan van Vuuren, leaving Gaikwad to rebuild the innings again.

Tilak Varma joined Gaikwad and the duo stitched a crucial 89-run stand for the third wicket. Tilak contributed 39 off 58 balls, playing a steady hand before falling. Gaikwad eventually departed in the 41st over, bowled by van Vuuren, with India A still needing 67 runs and five wickets in hand.

Nitish Kumar Reddy, released from the Test squad for this series, stepped up with a valuable 37-run knock. He combined with Nishant Sindhu, who made 29, to add 65 runs for the sixth wicket and put India A firmly on course. Their partnership ensured there were no late hiccups, and India A sealed the win in the final over.

Earlier, South Africa A’s innings was a tale of recovery. After choosing to bat, they were rocked early, losing two wickets in the first over—Rubin Hermann was dismissed by Arshdeep Singh, and Jordan Hermann was run out by Tilak Varma. Marques Ackerman fell in the next over to Prasidh Krishna, and Arshdeep struck again to remove Rivaldo Moonsamy. Nishant Sindhu then had Sinethemba Qeshile stumped, leaving the visitors reeling at 53 for 5.

Delano Potgieter and Dian Forrester led a remarkable fightback, adding 113 runs for the sixth wicket. Potgieter top-scored with 90, while Forrester made 77. Even after Parag dismissed Forrester, South Africa A continued to push through an 87-run stand between Potgieter and Bjorn Fortuin, who smashed 59 off 56 balls. Nitish Reddy eventually removed Potgieter, and Harshit Rana cleaned up the tail, restricting South Africa A to 285/9.

It was a game of momentum shifts, but Gaikwad’s century and India A’s middle-order resilience proved decisive in the end.

Brief Scores:

South Africa A: 285/9
India A: 290/6 in 49.3 overs