Board President's XI vs South Africa Highlights: Rahul, Ojha Slam 50s & Steyn Takes 3 Wickets on Day 1
South Africa had a chance to test their strengths and weaknesses ahead of the Test series when they took on the Board President's XI. Catch all the highlights here.
Cheteshwar Pujara and KL Rahul got a trailer of what to expect during the Test series during Indian Board President's XI game against South Africa. Catch all the highlights here (Fixtures | Videos | Photos | Stats):
1704 hrs IST: That's all for the day. South Africa end on 46/2, trailing the hosts by 250 runs.
1656 hrs IST: WICKET! Van Zyl falls to Thakur. South Africa 30/1.
1612 hrs IST: WICKET! That is the end of the innings! Board President's XI all out for 296.
1611 hrs IST: WICKET! Hardik Pandya falls for 47 and the hosts are now 283/9
1540 hrs IST: WICKET! Dale Steyn strikes again and this time he gets Naman Ojha for 52 off 80 balls. Board President's XI 226/7.
1455 hrs IST: FIFTY! Naman Ojha brings up his half-century off 72 balls. Imran Tahir struck after tea as he removed Sheldon Jackson for 15. Board President's XI 221/6.
1424 hrs IST: TEA! That's the end of second session. India lost both their set batsmen -- KL Rahul (72) and Karun Nair (44) -- in the session. Naman Ojha has batted well for his 47 not out while Sheldon Jackson (15*) has supported him well as Board President's XI have reached 208/5. Vernon Philander and Dale Steyn have picked up two wickets each.
1332 hrs IST: WICKET! KL Rahul's gritty knock comes to an end on 72 off 132 balls. He goes a slog off Simon Harper but is caught in the deep by Faf du Plessis. Board President's XI 155/5
1259 hrs IST: WICKET! Karun Nair falls short of his fifty. He scored 44 off 70 balls and was involved in a 105-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Rahul. Vernon Philander was brought back into the attack after lunch and the pacer delivered for his team. The pacer picked up his second wicket.
© AP
1333 hrs IST: FIFTY! KL Rahul brings up his half-century off 92 balls after lunch. Board President's XI 120/3.
1142 hrs IST: LUNCH! That's the end of the first session. KL Rahul (39*) and Karun Nair (36*) have batted brilliantly to take Board President's XI to 100/3 in 27 overs. The two have stitched together a 73-run stand for the fourth wicket.
11:25 hrs IST: PARTNERSHIP! KL Rahul and Karun Nair are batting beautifully and the duo has out on 50-run stand for the fourth wicket. Board President's XI 70/3
1022 hrs IST: WICKET! Dale Steyn in on fire. He gets his second as Shreyas Iyer (9) walks back to the pavilion after edging it to keeper Dane Vilas. Board President's XI 27/3 in 8.3 overs.
1007 hrs IST: WICKET! Cheteshwar Pujara follows Unmukt Chand. Board President's XI lose their second wicket and It's Vernon Philander this time who gets the big wicket of the captain. Stiaan van Zyl takes a neat catch at slips. Board President's XI 13/2 in 5.3 overs.
0947 hrs IST: WICKET! Unmukt Chand gone. India suffer first blow as Dale Steyn and Hashim Amla combine to remove Unmukt for 4. Captain Cheteshwar Pujara joins opener KL Rahul.
0932 hrs IST: TEAMS!
Board President XI (11 batting, 11 feilding): Lokesh Rahul, Unmukt Chand, Cheteshwar Pujara(c), Shreyas Iyer, Karun Nair, Naman Ojha(w), Hardik Pandya, Jayant Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Nathu Singh, Karn Sharma, Sheldon Jackson
South Africa (11 batting, 11 feilding): Dean Elgar, Stiaan van Zyl, Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers(c), Temba Bavuma, Dane Vilas(w), Vernon Philander, Simon Harmer, Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Piedt, Morne Morkel, Jean-Paul Duminy
0928 hrs IST: TOSS! Cheteshwar Pujara has won the toss and Indian Board President's XI will bat first against South Africans.
© AFP
Post their humiliating series loss to South Africa in the T20Is and One-dayers, Team India has been under intense scrutiny ahead of Test series. (Spin is King, Demand for Turning Pitches Dominate Build-Up to Tests)
A loss in Test series could spell catastrophe for the hosts and no wonder Cheteshwar Pujara and KL Rahul were named in the Board President's XI team, which would face South Africa in a two-day warm-up game.
India need their batsmen fired up for the Test series which commences from November 5 and Pujara and Rahul have become a vital cog to their success.
Pujara, who scored a century in the third Test against Sri Lanka last month, would be hoping to maintain his run scoring form against the Proteas. Rahul, meanwhile, though inconsistent, has shown his ability both as an opener and as a middle order player. (Pujara Ready to Bat at Any Position in Tests)
Naman Ojha, who debuted against Sri Lanka in the final Test, should also relish the challenge and will look to challenge Wriddhiman Saha's position as a wicket-keeper batsman.
Board President's look pretty thin in terms of bowling but Rajasthan pacer Nathu Singh seems to have caught the eye of few with his pace.
The match should also provide opportunity to visitors who are too grappling with selection woes post the injury to all-rounder Jean-Paul Duminy.
South Africa who have name two off-spinners Simon Harmer and Dane Piedt in the side will look to test their skills against some young batsmen reared on playing in spin-friendly pitches.
The Proteas will be keeping a close watch on recovering Morne Morkel, who is expected to be named in the side. Morkel had to miss the last two One-Dayer in Mumbai after he suffered a leg injury in the third ODI.
Board President XI (11 batting, 11 feilding): Lokesh Rahul, Unmukt Chand, Cheteshwar Pujara(c), Shreyas Iyer, Karun Nair, Naman Ojha(w), Hardik Pandya, Jayant Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Nathu Singh, Karn Sharma, Sheldon Jackson
South Africa (11 batting, 11 feilding): Dean Elgar, Stiaan van Zyl, Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers(c), Temba Bavuma, Dane Vilas(w), Vernon Philander, Simon Harmer, Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Piedt, Morne Morkel, Jean-Paul Duminy