Jaffer and Gambhir shine for India A against South Africa

Wasim Jaffer and Gautam Gambhir starred for India A against the South Africans at Arundel. Jaffer scored 90 and Gambhir 64 in their 319 all out, in which Shaun Pollock came back strongly.

Gambhir's sparkling innings came from only 69 balls and Jaffer consolidated India A's good start by batting for over three hours for a solid 90, including 12 fours, after Shiv Sunder Das chose to bat.

Das himself dug in for 33 and Ambati Rayudu, who lofted Robin Peterson for two sixes over long-on off successive balls, was Dewalt Pretorious's first victim, lbw for 32, after a stand of 56 from 86 balls with Jaffer.

Pollock, who only arrived back in England on Friday after visiting his pregnant wife in South Africa, took 4 for 46, including a second new-ball spell of three wickets for one run in seven balls that ended the innings.

In what is South Africa's last match before Thursday's first Test against England, Pretorious did his chances of selection no harm by taking 3 for 41. He had a post-tea purple patch of 3 for 9 in 18 balls, boosting his chances of adding to the solitary Test cap he won against Australia at Newlands in March 2002.

Pretorious, coming around the wicket, then bowled Parthiv Patel (8) after he shouldered arms. Meanwhile, Jaffer spent an uncomfortable half-hour in the 80s before breaking loose with a glorious cover drive off Pretorious. But, trying to repeat the stroke, he failed to keep the ball down and was caught low down by Graeme Smith.

Wickets then fell cheaply before Pollock wrapped up the innings by having Irfan Pathan junior caught in the slips by Smith before clean-bowling last man Aavishkar Salvi for nought. But the day belonged to India A.