Prasidh and Shardul impress for India A ahead of Tests in South Africa

Fast bowler Prasidh Krishna and batter Pradosh Ranjan Paul hit the high notes for India A in the drawn four-day game against South Africa A in Potchefstroom. Shardul Thakur also impressed as an allrounder with a wicket in the first innings followed by a brisk half-century.

Prasidh, who is in India's Test crew for the two-Test series in South Africa, could make his Test debut on Boxing Day in the event that Mohammed Shami is precluded in view of a waiting knee niggle.

Prasidh got his third five-wicket pull in top notch cricket in the apparatus against South Africa A, setting off a lower-request breakdown. From 293 for 4, the hosts drooped to 319 hard and fast almost immediately the third day. His figures of 5 for 43 in 18.1 overs incorporated a full go-around spread across two overs to excuse the last three players - all bowled. Prasidh's wickets included Jean du Plessis, who top scored with 106, while Rubin Hermann made 95.

Shardul and Vidwath Kaverappa got one wicket each, while left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar took 3 for 83 out of 26 overs.

India An's answer was driven by Paul, who made his fourth hundred in five star cricket. Paul, Tamil Nadu's most elevated run-getter at the 2022-23 Ranji season, scored 163, the top score of the match. He set up two century stands: 130 with Sarfaraz Khan, who made 68, and afterward 152 with Shardul to conquer a wobble and start to lead the pack. Shardul smacked 76 off 98 balls and India An in the long run got done with 417. Crease bowling allrounder Evan Jones took 4 for 100 for South Africa A.

After the waste of time right from the start, there wasn't sufficient opportunity to compel an outcome, and South Africa A scored 152 for 2 in their subsequent innings, with Yaseen Valli and du Plessis making half-hundreds of years, before the game finished in a draw. Mumbai seamer Tushar Deshpande and Saurabh got the two wickets to fall.

Individuals from the India A crew will play India's Test crew in a three-day game prior to completing the visit with an additional four-day game against South Africa An on Confining Day Benoni.