India 'A' pulled off a thrilling one-run victory over South Africa 'A' in the pulsating third and final one-day match at the Madhavrao Scindia cricket ground in Rajkot on Sunday.
Middle order batsman S Badrinath's (88; 4-43), all-round performance and skipper Mohammad Kaif's (98) knock helped India 'A' clinch the match that went down to the wire.
The Indians won the three match one-day series 1-0. The first two matches in Ahmedabad and Baroda respectively were rained out.
Chasing a competitive target of 291 in 50 overs, the visitors were all out for 289 to the last ball of the final over.
The Proteas needed 12 runs in the final over, bowled by medium pacer Praveen Kumar, with Johan Botha and Charle Langeveldt at the crease.
Kumar conceded just two runs off his first three balls, but Botha then hit two successive fours on fourth and fifth balls.
South Africa needed one run to level the score, but Botha failed to cover ground while running for a single, brilliantly run-out by skipper Kaif.
Opener Al Viro Peterson 56 (10x4, 1x6) and one-down Gulam Bodi 54 (9x4, 1x6) steadied the South African innings after losing the wicket of Van Wyk Morne (4).
Peterson and Bodi added 76 runs for the second wicket.
The visitors lost three wickets quickly in the form of Peterson, Bodi and their skipper, Boeta Dippenaar (4).
But Albie Morkel, coming at number six, hit some lusty shots and brought his side back in the game. However, he was dropped by Suresh Raina when on 15.
Morkel was supported well by Justin Ontong 20 (24b, 1x4) and Tsolekile 24 (16b, 1x4, 1x6) but was run-out at a crucial stage of the innings, when the visitors needed another 49 runs to win the match.
Morkel scored 61, inclusive of five fours and three sixes off 55 balls, while Botha scored 32 off 25 balls with three fours and one six.
For the hosts, S Badrinath was the pick of the bowlers, claiming four wickets and conceding 43 runs in his 10 overs, while medium pacer Praveen Kumar took two for 51 runs.
Earlier, India 'A' captain Mohammed Kaif won the toss and decided to bat.
Praveen Kumar (01) and Cheteshwar Pujara (0) failed to negotiate new ball and departed early.
Parthiv (15) too could not contribute with the bat, and the hosts were in trouble with the score reading 23 for three in ten overs.
But skipper Mohammed Kaif's composed innings and two useful partnerships with Suresh Raina (45) and S Badrinath (145) helped the hosts to put a decent total.
Kaif first added 72 runs with Raina and then notched 145 runs off just 154 with S Badrinath for the sixth wicket.
The Indian skipper was however unlucky and departed two runs short of his hundred. He scored 98 off 123 balls, inclusive of eight fours and two sixes, while Badrinath remained unbeaten on 88 facing 89 balls, inclusive ofsix fours and two sixes.
For visitors, medium pacers, Rory Kleinveldt and Albie Morkel were the most successful bowlers, claiming two wickets each, conceding 34 and 64 runs respectively.
Scorecard
India 'A':
Praveen Kumar c Langeveldt b Kleinveldt 1
Cheteshwar Pujara c Tsolekile b Kleinveldt 0
Mohd Kaif c Botha b Phillander 98
Parthiv Patel c Ontong b Langeveldt 15
Suresh Raina c Langeveldt b Morkel 45
Manoj Tiwari c Tsolekile b Morkel 4S Badrinath not out 88
Amit Mishra not out 22.
Extras: (W-13, NB-4) 17.
Total: (for six wickets in 50 overs) 290.
Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-1, 3-26, 4-98, 5-105, 6-249.
Bowling: C Langeveldt 9-0-67-1, R Kleinveldt 8-2-34-2, V Phillander 9-0-48-1, A Morkel 10-1-64-2, J Botha 9-0-57-0, Jontong 5-0-20-0.
South Africa 'A':
Van Wyk Morne bowled P Kumar 4
Alviro Peterson c Badrinath b Mishra 56
Gulam Bodi c. (sub) Aniruddha b Badrinath 54
Boeta Dippenaar st. Patel b Ozha 6
Justin Ontong bowled Badrinath 20
Albie Morkel run out 61
V Phillander c. Mahesh b Badrinath 7
Tsolekile Thamsanga c Mishra b Badrinath 24
Johan Botha run out 32
R Kleinveldt b P Kumar 15
C Langeveldt not out 3.
Extras: (lb-4, b-2, nb-1) 7
Total: 289
Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-90, 3-104, 4-136, 5-148, 6-180, 7-223, 8-241, 9-270, 10-289.
Bowling: Praveen Kumar 10-3-51-2, Ishant Sharma 6-0-40-0, Mahesh 3-0-21-0, Pragyan Ozha 10-0-57-1, Amit Mishra 9-0-56-1, S Badrinath 10-0-43-4, Mohd Kaif 2-0-15-0.
