The second four-day match between India A and South Africa A ended in a draw after three visiting batters made fifties on December 29 (Friday) in Benoni.

The second unofficial Test between the two sides was drawn after India A batted out the entire day four on Friday. Resuming their innings at the overnight score of 159-4, India A were led by youngsters Tilak Varma and Dhruv Jurel, who stitched together 103 runs for the fifth wicket.

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The two added 84 runs in 35.1 overs and reached their respective fifties in the process. Tilak was the first to get to the landmark, with a firm push towards the bowler just before lunch. He reached the milestone in 162 deliveries but departed soon after, falling to Bjorn Fortuin seven balls later.

Jurel, at the other end, remained unfazed and reached his fifth first-class fifty with a quick single. He took 162 balls to reach the landmark. Jurel, who burst onto the scene in the 2023 IPL with Rajasthan Royals for his big-hitting, scored 49 runs with Axar Patel for the sixth wicket, before he departed, also falling to Fortuin.

Patel, who has shown massive improvements with the bat recently, made a counter-attacking 61-ball 50 and ensured India A did not lose any more wickets in the innings as he combined with Washington Sundar to see the day through.

Earlier, South Africa A had been bowled out for 263 with Avesh Khan getting a five-for. His performance combined with the insipid fast bowling the senior team displayed at Centurion saw him getting a call-up to the Test side for the second match in Cape Town.

Patel picked up two wickets with Navdeep Saini and Sundar getting one scalp each.

The first four-day match between the two teams, held in Potchefstroom, had also ended in a draw.

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