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Ruturaj Gaikwad’s composed century steered India A to a four-wicket win over South Africa A in the first unofficial ODI on Thursday, as the hosts successfully chased down a target of 286 with three balls to spare in Rajkot. Gaikwad, who has been out of India’s senior ODI and T20 sides, marked his return to form with a fluent 117 off 129 balls, anchoring the innings after a brisk start from the top order. His knock included several well-timed boundaries that kept the chase steady even as wickets fell at regular intervals. Earlier, South Africa A recovered impressively from a top-order collapse to post 285 for nine in their 50 overs. Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh struck twice early, dismissing openers Rubin Hermann and Rivaldo Moonsamy to leave the visitors reeling at 53 for five by the 12th over. Prasidh Krishna then added to the pressure by removing captain Marques Ackerman. However, the lower order staged a remarkable fightback. Dian Forrester’s 77, Delano Potgieter’s 90, and Bjorn Fortuin’s 59 formed the backbone of South Africa A’s recovery. The trio combined for crucial partnerships that lifted their team from a precarious position to a competitive total. In response, India A began positively through Gaikwad and Abhishek Sharma, who put together a 64-run stand for the opening wicket. Abhishek’s quickfire 31 off 25 balls provided early momentum, but the dismissals of Riyan Parag (8) and skipper Tilak Varma (39) stalled the progress momentarily. Nitish Kumar Reddy, who joined the squad after being released from the India Test team, made an important contribution of 37 off 26 balls. His counter-attacking approach eased the pressure on Gaikwad before Nishant Sindhu (29 not out off 26) ensured a smooth finish.
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Despite losing Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan in quick succession towards the end, India A maintained control of the chase. Reddy and Sindhu held their composure to take the team home in 49.3 overs, sealing a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The two teams will meet again in the second unofficial ODI in Rajkot on Saturday.
