Day three of the second ‘Test’ between India-A and South Africa-A was spent more time inside the dressing room than outside as the first and last sessions were washed out.
Only 32.4 overs were possible in the 2.5-hour second session in which India-A staged a comeback of sorts picking up four wickets and reduced the visitors to 294 for seven.
Quick wickets
Resuming on 219 for three, overnight batsman Rudi Second and Hendrik van der Dussen were dismissed quickly by Ankit Rajpoot.
Dussen poked at one outside the off-stump to edge to the ’keeper, while Second, who looked impressive on Saturday, was caught at short-midwicket trying to flick one off his pads when on 47.
Off-spinner Jayant Yadav then had Dwaine Pretorius caught at mid-off trying to take on the spinner as SA-A was reduced to 254 for six.
Skipper Dane Piedt and Senuran Muthusamy then came together to forge a 40-run stand for the seventh wicket to get the visitors’ innings back on track.
But it could have been better for the hosts had Mayank Agarwal held on to a catch at cover-point from Piedt when the skipper was on zero.
Piedt hit a few boundaries and a six off Yadav to rub salt into the wounds before he was dismissed bowled by Siraj for 22, at the stroke of tea.
The players took the field after tea but the umpires decided that the persistent drizzle was heavy enough for them to go back without a ball being bowled in the last session.
The scores:
India-A: 345.
South Africa-A: Pieter Malan lbw b Siraj 0, Sarel Erwee lbw b Chahal 58, Zubayr Hamza c Shreyas b Chahal 93, Hendrik van der Dussen c Bharat b Rajpoot 22, Rudi Second c Shaw b Rajpoot 47, Senuran Muthusamy (batting 22), Dwaine Pretorius c Siraj b Yadav 10, Dane Piedt b Siraj 22, Extras (nb-15, lb 4): 19; Total (for seven wkts. in 92.3 overs): 294.
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-154, 3-163, 4-233, 5-236, 6-254, 7-294.
India-A bowling: Siraj 18.3-3-58-2, Saini 21-9-41-0, Rajpoot 17-6-42-2, Yadav 14-2-65-1, Chahal 22-1-84-2.