Overview
- India A won the toss and bowled at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, where South Africa A closed on 299 for 9.
- Tanush Kotian led the fightback with 4 for 83 after lunch, with Manav Suthar and the pacers sharing the remaining wickets.
- Jordan Hermann (71), Zubayr Hamza (66) and Rubin Hermann (54) hit fifties, including a 130-run second‑wicket stand and a later rebuild featuring Tiaan van Vuuren.
- Kotian said the turnaround followed a deliberate shift to stump-line bowling to tighten scoring and force errors.
- Pant’s stump‑mic instructions and his choice of jersey No. 18 drew wide attention, and the match streams live in India on JioHotstar with no TV broadcast; Ishan Kishan joined the squad after N Jagadeesan’s hand injury.