Bengaluru, Nov 2 (IANS) India A picked up from where they left off on Day 3 as Rishabh Pant and Ayush Badoni formed a calm and composed partnership to start the first session on Day 4 of the first unofficial Test here at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 1.

Earlier on Day 3, India A finished at 119-4 in 39 overs, needing 156 runs to win with six wickets in hand. Pant and Badoni stitched a 53-run stand before the visitors dismissed the in-form wicketkeeper-batter.

Pant looked set on the crease as he took his previous day’s score of 64 not out to enter the nervous nineties. However, Tiaan van Vuuren struck in the 49th over to dismiss Pant on 90, thereby reducing the hosts to 172/5 in their chase of 275 runs.

Badoni and Kotian then carried the game forward, but the former was dismissed, scoring a 47-ball 34, as van Vuuren struck again in the 53rd over, putting an end to their 23-run sixth-wicket stand.

While Kotian looked to settle in quickly, a poor choice of shot led to him being caught at fine leg as Lutho Sipamla provided his side with another breakthrough, bringing the Indian side down to 215/7 in 89 overs.

While the hosts managed to score a handful of runs in the first session, the visitors picked up three crucial wickets as the Rishabh Pant-led side now struggles in their run chase. In the 22 overs of the first session, India A scored 97 runs before the two sides walked off for lunch.

Van Vuuren has been the pick of the bowlers for the Proteas, having picked up three wickets in his nine-over spell so far while conceding 40 runs.

The hosts, currently at 216-7, now need 59 runs to win the first unofficial Test with just three wickets in hand.

Brief Scores: India A 234 & 216-7 in 61 overs (Rishabh Pant 90, Ayush Badoni 34; Tiaan van Vuuren 3-40, Tshepo Moreki 2-25) trail South Africa A 309 & 199 all out in 48.1 overs (Lesego Senokwane 37, Zubayr Hamza 37; Tanush Kotian 4-26, Anshul Kamboj 3-39) by 59 runs.

–IANS

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