Duminy rallies South Africa as Pandey bags four wickets

Pacer Ishwar Pandey took four wickets, including two with successive deliveries, but South Africa ‘A’ fought back through a fighting 84 from J P Duminy and his crucial partnerships with the tail-enders, in the first unofficial Test against India ‘A’, in Rustenburg, on Monday.

The home side lost five wickets in the first two sessions before Duminy combined with Thami Tsolekile (47) to take South Africa to 312 for nine by the end of the third day's play.

Duminy and Tsolekile's fightback in the post-tea session, during which they raised an 86-run stand for the seventh wicket, prevented India from wrapping up the hosts’ first innings.

Duminy had earlier raised another fighting 75-run stand for the sixth wicket with Justin Ontong, who scored 47 off 82 balls.

Pandey (4/40) did a fantastic job as he broke both the partnerships which had frustrated the Indians.

Suresh Raina took two wickets, including that of Duminy, with his spin bowling.

The hosts are still 270 runs behind India's total of 582 for 9 declared.

Resuming at 20 for one, South Africa were staring down the barrel as they were reduced to 280 for 6 by tea, but Duminy and Tsolekile came up with a good fight in the last session of the day.

South Africa lost Duminy in the last over of the day when Raina had him caught behind. With his dismissal, the umpires ended the day's play.

Duminy's 84 off 222 balls included nine boundaries.

Duminy and Tsolekile frustrated the Indians for close to 26 overs but Pandey broke their stand by having the latter caught by Shikhar Dhawan. With the next delivery he caught Wayne Parnell in his follow through.

Before this, Pandey had broken the big partnership between Duminy and Ontong.

Earlier, India’s bowlers polished off South Africa’s middle order with regular strikes. The hosts found the going tough from the beginning as Mohammed Shami struck only in the third over of the day, dismissing opener Dean Elgar.

The pacer had Elgar trapped in front of the wicket as the hosts lost their second wicket at 22.

Resisting the Indian bowlers well, left-hand batsman Rilee Rossouw scored a 64-ball 57 and shared a 72-run stand for the third wicket with overnight batsman Simon Harmer (22).

Pandey had Harmer caught behind and soon Rossouw joined him in the pavilion when he was trapped by Raina. Temba Bavuma, who joined Duminy at the crease, could not even open his account as he was caught by Raina off Nadeem.

Duminy, who is a regular in South Africa national side, then found an able ally in Ontong, who struck a fighting 47 off 82 balls with the help of seven shots to the fence.

However, Indians broke the 75-run stand when Pandey had Ontong caught behind just before the tea break.

 Scorecard

 India ‘A’ (1st innings): 582-9 declared

 South Africa ‘A’ (1st innings): (Overnight 20/1)

 R Hendricks c Saha b Unadkat 10

 D Elgar lbw b Mohammed Shami 11

 S Harmer c Saha b Pandey 22

 R Rossouw lbw b Raina 57

 JP Duminy c Sahar b Raina 84

 T Bavuma c Raina b Nadeem 0

 J Ontong c Saha b Pandey 47

 T Tsolekile c Dhawan b Pandey 47

 W Parnell c & b Pandey 0

 K Abbott batting 9

 Extras: (B-2, LB-7, WD-6, pen 10) 25

 Total: (For 9 wickets in 98.3 overs) 312

 Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-22, 3-94, 4-116, 5-119, 6-194, 7-280, 8-280, 9-312.

 Bowling: J Unadkat 18-5-38-1, Mohammed Shami 16-2-53-1, S Nadeem 28-5-101-1, I Pandey 16-5-40-4, S Raina 10.3-2-33-2, R Sharma 10-1-28-0.

Image: J P Duminy

Photograph: Chris Hyde/Getty Images