Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

India colts beat Gauteng in tour match

December 24, 2009 15:07 IST

A superb all-round display by left-arm spinner Gaurav Jathar helped India Under-19 team beat South African side Gauteng by five wickets in their first tour match in Johannesburg.

Put into bat first Gauteng, India restricted the hosts for 185 runs and then overhauled the target with 16 overs to spare, thanks mainly to a compact batting display by vice-captain Mandeep Singh (60) and opener Mayank Agarwal (40).

Jathar (3/29) displayed a tidy bowling performance, alongwith fast bowler Saurabh Netrawalkar and left-arm spinner Manan Sharma who bagged two wickets apiece on Wednesday.

Chasing the target, the visitors were in a spot of bother losing their five wickets early but Mandeep and Mayank ensured that there were no further hiccups and guided home their team in 34 overs.

India will play the University Sports South Africa XI in their next tour game.

The Indians will take on South Africa Under-19 side in their first match of the tri-series, also featuring Sri Lanka Under-19 team, on December 28.