Kotian helps India A come back after the Hermann brothers score fifties

Kotian helps India A come back after the Hermann brothers score fifties

India A vs South Africa A: Spinner Tanush Kotian took 4 for 83 on Day 1 of the four-day match against South Africa A in Bengaluru on Thursday.

Rishabh Pant made a strong comeback, spending the entire day on the field without any visible discomfort from his foot injury. After two months of rehab following a knock in Manchester, Pant looked sharp — warming up early, sprinting, and batting before winning the toss and choosing to bowl on a green, seaming pitch at the Centre of Excellence.

Unfortunately, N Jagadeesan wasn’t as lucky. A freak training injury caused by B Sai Sudharsan’s spikes ruled him out, and Ishan Kishan was called in as cover. This opened the door for Mumbai’s Ayush Mhatre to debut earlier than expected.

South Africa A ended the day at 299/9, a total that felt underwhelming given the promise they showed early on. The standout for India A was offspinner Tanush Kotian, who bagged four wickets and bowled tirelessly through the middle sessions. He was well supported by Manav Suthar, whose sharp turn and bounce troubled the batters, though he finished with just two wickets.

Among the pacers, Gurnoor Brar impressed with pace and bounce, dismissing Zubayr Hamza for 66 with a fiery short ball that broke a 130-run stand. Hamza, however, played a classy knock, using his feet brilliantly against spin and reaching his fifty with style.

Jordan Hermann started aggressively but settled into a calmer rhythm once Hamza took charge. He played some elegant strokes, including a flick off Khaleel Ahmed that stood out, before falling lbw to Kotian for 71.

Captain Marques Ackermann fell trying to flick Kotian, bringing Jordan’s brother Rubin Hermann, to the crease. Rubin played positively and got lucky when Sudharsan dropped him on 38, but was bowled soon after for 54 by Kotian.

As the day wound down, Pant went full throttle with attacking fields. Six close-in fielders surrounded the bat, and the pressure paid off Padikkal caught a top-edge from van Vuren, and Khaleel wrapped up the day by trapping Sipamla lbw.

India A ended the day on top, with Pant’s return and Kotian’s spin masterclass setting the tone.