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Ruturaj Gaikwad led India A to a thrilling five-wicket win in the first unofficial ODI against South Africa A at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot, slamming a solid century to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series on Thursday.
Gaikwad's impressive knock helped India A chase down the target, securing a comfortable victory. India A vice-captain Ruturaj Gaikwad anchored the chase, smashing 117 off 129 balls as India A successfully pursued 286, clinching the match in the final over. Gaikwad shared a 64-run opening stand with Abhishek Sharma and steadied the ship with some crucial partnerships. Skipper Tilak Varma (39), Nitish Kumar Reddy (37 off 26) and Nishant Sindhu also contributed to the win. Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Riyan Parag failed to make a significant impact for India with the bat. Earlier in the match, South Africa A won the toss and elected to bat first. South Africa set a 286-run target after posting 285/9 in 50 overs. Proteas A team recovered from 16/4 and then 53/5, courtesy of Dian Forrester's 77, Delano Potgieter's 90 and Bjorn Fortuin's 59. Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna combined to rattle South Africa A with the new ball. But the visitors fought back against the Tilak Varma-led side in Rajkot. Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana took two wickets each for India. Prasidh Krishna, Nishant Sandhu, Riyan Parag, and Nitish Kumar Reddy also took one wicket each. The second match of the series will now be played on the same ground on November 16. Teams:South Africa A (Playing XI): Rivaldo Moonsamy, Rubin Hermann(w), Jordan Hermann, Marques Ackerman(c), Sinethemba Qeshile, Dian Forrester, Delano Potgieter, Bjorn Fortuin, Tiaan van Vuuren, Tshepo Moreki, Ottneil Baartman. India A (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Riyan Parag, Tilak Varma(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Nishant Sindhu, Harshit Rana, Vipraj Nigam, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna. (ANI)
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