Eman 
Rishabh Pant’s Aggression Keeps India A’s Hopes Alive on Tumultuous Day of Cricket
ZeeaK 
An extraordinary day of cricket at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru has set the stage for a tense finale to the first four-day match between India A and South Africa A. With 14 wickets falling over the course of the day, India A finished at 119/4, still requiring a challenging 156 runs for victory. All eyes are now fixed on the experienced comeback player Rishabh Pant, who single-handedly anchored the chase.
South Africa A’s Collapse Sets the Target
South Africa A began the day with a healthy lead of 105 runs and quickly extended it, thanks to a boundary-laden counter-attack from Zubayr Hamza (37). The lead swelled past 150 before India A finally found a way to stop the bleeding.
The momentum swung violently after Manav Suthar dismissed Hamza. The spin-pace combination of Suthar (4/26) and Anshul Kamboj (3/39) then dismantled the South African middle order. The visitors collapsed from 84/1 to a dangerous 135/7. Despite the tail adding valuable runs, South Africa A were eventually bowled out for 199, setting India A a challenging final target of 275.
Pant’s Rescue Mission Begins
The required run chase immediately hit turbulence for the home side. India A lost their top three—Ayush Mhatre, Devdutt Padikkal, and Sai Sudharsan—quickly, slumping to a worrying 32/3.
The innings was stabilized when Pant joined Rajat Patidar (28 off 87 balls). While Patidar provided the necessary patience and resistance, Pant unleashed his trademark attacking game. Batting at a rapid clip, Pant successfully wrestled the momentum back from the bowlers.
The day concluded with Patidar’s dismissal, but not before Pant cruised past his half-century. His unbeaten 64 runs are the decisive factor heading into the final day, with India A relying entirely on his fearless batting to complete the stiff chase.
Brief Scores & Final Day Challenge
| Team | Innings 1 | Innings 2 |
| India A | 234 | 119/4 (R. Pant 64*) |
| South Africa A | 309 | 199 (Z. Hamza 37) |
Result: India A requires 156 more runs for victory on the final day.
For the final day’s result, match report, and analysis of all global cricket, visit the ultimate cricket destination: www.crickethighlights.online
image credits : cricbuzz
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