Pacers ensure healthy first-innings lead for India A

Pacers led the way to bowl out South Africa A for 221 despite skipper Marques Ackerman's counterattacking 134. To the 34-run lead, the hosts added 78 more, for the loss of three wickets, to finish 112 ahead when stumps were drawn on Day 2 of the second unofficial Test.

Two of the top-four, including Temba Bavuma, bagged ducks before Ackerman stitched a 64-run stand with opener Jordan Hermann to help recover from 12/3, with Akash Deep striking twice early. Another mini collapse followed after the half-century partnership was broken, with the visitors slipping to 121/7.

The captain then took the lead in an 86-run partnership, off 62 deliveries, with Prenelan Subrayen to take his side past 200. Ackerman scored 66 of those runs, bringing up a brisk century. Once again, the tail collapsed, keeping South Africa to just 221, with their captain having scored more than half the team's runs.

Okhule Cele struck with his first ball of the second innings to give India A an early blow, dismissing Abhimanyu Easwaran. Sai Sudharsan made 23 in a 40-run stand with KL Rahul before being trapped LBW.

Rahul continued in the company of Devdutt Padikkal, who made 24 off 42, but lost his wicket just before stumps to leave India at 78/3 in the second innings.

Brief scores:
India A 255 & 78/3 (KL Rahul 26*; Okhule Cele 2-28) lead South Africa A 221 (Marques Ackerman 134; Prasidh Krishna 3-35, Akash Deep 2-28, Mohd. Siraj 2-61) by 112 runs