Pujara smashes ton,India A 281/3

Pujara cracked 17 fours in his 205-ball innings and forged a 176-run partnership with Rohit Sharma (70*) for the third wicket.

Listen to this article

00:00

1x 1.5x 1.8x

Skipper Cheteshwar Pujara scored a scintillating 140 as India A reached 281 for three against South Africa A at stumps on the opening day of the first unofficial Test. Pujara cracked 17 fours in his 205-ball innings and forged a 176-run partnership with Rohit Sharma (70*) for the third wicket.

Pujara,who won the toss and elected to bat,also added 66 runs for the second wicket with Murali Vijay (44). Pujara was ably supported by Rohit,whose unbeaten 159-ball innings was studded with eight fours and a six. At stumps,Rohit and Ajinkya Rahane (11) were at the crease.

Earlier,opener Shikhar Dhawan (11) took time to see off the initial phase but the Delhi batsman could not stay too long at the crease,and was dismissed for a 46-ball 6 by Simon Harmer,who induced a edge from the left-handed batsman to Reeza Hendricks at first slip. Vijay looked good,starting proceedings with a cover drive off Wayne Parnell in the second over and picking up another boundary off Andrew Birch in the 14th over.

The Tamil Nadu batsman gave a special treatment to Harmer,smacking a four and a six off successive deliveries. The 29-year-old repeated his act in the 23rd over,driving Harmer through the covers and sweeping the next delivery to the boundary. At the other end,Pujara had pulled Harmer over square leg and then cut him through the point region in consecutive overs. Pacer Kyle Abbott also bled runs as both Pujara and Vijay picked up a boundary each off his overs. Pujara went berserk and cut Parnell through point and gully area before picking up another four at the point region. In the 35th over,he once again stole runs off Abbott when he flicked him to the fine leg region. Vijay was finally out when Birch had him caught by Harmer at second slip in the 38th over. Vijays 115-ball innings was laced with six fours and a six.

Pujara and Rohit then joined hands and kept their opposition busy,picking up singles and twos and also put away the bad balls for boundaries. Pujara reached his half-century when he edged a Birch delivery that fell short of gully and raced away for four. Rohit then picked up a six off Harmer over mid-on as India A reached 121 for two in 50 overs. Pujara hit a boundary off Parnell and then sent Duminy through the covers for another four in the 58th over just before tea.

In the 73rd over,both reached personal milestones,Rohit completing his half-century with a single off Harmer and Pujara his hundred with a couple. The 123-run stand ended when Pujara was bowled by Parnell in the 84th over,leaving India A 270 for three.

Brief scores: India A 281/3 in 90 overs (M Vijay 44,C Pujara 140,R Sharma 70*; W Parnell 1/47; A Birch 1/42,S Harmer 1/88).