The potential of Shardul Thakur and Nathu Singh against an international side showed itself up in the opening session of the two-day warm-up game against South Africa at the Brabourne Stadium. Definitely the lone national selector, Saba Karim, who saw all the action from the second floor CCI president’s box, will have plenty to share about the two young seamers with other national selectors. Thakur may have even climbed a notch or two and could be considered as a replacement should there be an exigency caused by injury to any among the present set of pace men in the national squad. The two day match ended in a draw, with South Africa taking a six run lead and the home team making 92 for no loss.
The relief week for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy gave the pocket sized Thakur an opportunity to show his mettle and he largely succeeded capturing four wickets with the new ball — two in the last session on Friday and two in his opening burst on Saturday. Nathu Singh took time to get his rhythm and accuracy and there were odd instances when he gave glimpses of possessing special deliveries to rattle batsmen at the highest level. He dismissed a well settled left handed opener Dean Elgar with a genuine wicket-taking delivery.
After an excellent demonstration of fast and seam bowling by the Thakur-Nathu Singh combination that reduced South Africa to 57 for five by the 16th over, A.B. de Villiers (112, 208m, 131b, 18 x 4s) took the centre stage and stamped his authority with a fourth century in the ongoing tour; he had scored centuries in the one-day internationals played at Kanpur, Chennai and Mumbai.
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The attacking right hander was involved in two recovery partnerships with Temba Bavuma (54 for the sixth wicket) and with Dane Vilas (115 for the seventh wicket), but clearly it was his knock that began with boundary-productive cut shot and on drive to mid wicket of Thakur and ended after he punched two off driven shots of unorthodox left arm spinner, Kuldeep Yadav, that kept the score board ticking and calmed nerves in the dressing room. Twice Nathu Singh forced the South African run machine to pull out his bottom hand at nick of time.
From the home team’s point of view the focus was on Thakur and Nathu Singh. The Mumbai speedster who recently crossed 100 first class wickets, surprised Faf du Plessis with a leg stump yorker-length to be trapped leg before. Thereafter he sent back the rival captain Hashim Amla with an outswinger that took the edge of the bat and landed into the hands of Karun Nair in the first of the slip cordon.
Perhaps Thakur and Nathu Singh would have got more wickets had skipper Cheteshwara Pujara been more dynamic in field placing. He had a point, cover, mid off and just two slips, when the situation was ideal for three slips and two gullies. Hardik Pandya chipped in with the wicket of Bavuma with Unmukt Chand showing a safe pair of hands.
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If the bowlers, especially the seamers were still hopefull on the second day afternoon, it was because of the wonderful work done by the CCI ground staff headed by Prakash Adhav. Leg spinner Karn Sharma did not make an impact, but off spinner Jayant Yadav picked up two wickets including that of de Villiers and chinaman practitioner Kuldeep Yadav polished the tail-end.
The visiting team captain Amla chose the four spinners to bowl 30 overs in the second innings and ordered for nets at the conclusion of the match for a work out to reassure himself of his batting technique. “I have seen him get out early in the innings and hence I attacked him with outswing. This has been my best bowling performance in the season. There was moisture underneath and exploited it,’’ Thakur.
The South African team coach Russell Domingo said that there is nothing to worry about leg spinner Imran Tahir, who appeared to have hurt his non-bowling hand when Rahul hit a firm shot in the second innings.
The scores: Board President’s XI —1st Innings: 296
South Africa -1st Innings: Stiaan van Zyl c Chand b Thakur 18, Dean Elgar c Chand b Nathu Singh 23, Simon Harmer c Ojha b Thakur 4, Faf du Plessis lbw b Thakur 4, Hasim Amla c Nair b Thakur 1, A.B. de Villiers b Jayant 112, Temba Bavuma c Chand b Pandya 15, Dane Vilas b Jayant 54, Vernon Philander b Kuldeep 12, Dale Steyn b Kuldeep 37, Kagiso Rabada not out 1, Extras (b-7, lb-1, nb-7, w-6) 21 (Total in 69.2 overs) 302.
Fall of wkts: 1-38, 2-46, 3-54, 4-57,5-57, 6-111, 7-226, 8-259, 9-285
Board President’s XI bowling: Shardul Thakur 16-3-70-4, Nathu Singh 14.4-2-56-1, Hardik Pandya 14-1-64-1, Karn Sharma 8-0-43-0, Jayant Yadav 8-2-37-2, Kuldeep Yadav 8.4-0-24-2
Board President’s XI-2nd Innings: K. L. Rahul (not out) 43, Cheteshwar Pujara (not out) 49; Total: (for no loss in 30 overs) 92.
South Africa bowling: Simon Harmer 10-2-24-0, Dane Piedt 10-3-32-0, Imran Tahir 5-0-25-0, Dean Elgar 5-0-11-0.